Roommates
by youngwriter56
Summary: PG13mild R for language. When Hermione puts an ad in the newspaper for a roommate, she comes across none other than Draco Malfoy. HermioneDraco completed. sighh
1. an Ad and a Wall

I'm experimenting. Don't mind me.

Disclaimer: This is a disclaimer.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Drunk and tired, Hermione Granger staggered home.

Home.

Her rent was due in a week, there was a stack of bills to pay and she still owed Ginny Galleons.

How Hermione had become like this, she didn't know.

Hermione had graduated from Howarts years ago, top of the class. She had been successful in all her jobs, Healer, Auror, working in the ministry. She had tried all and had excelled all.

Excelled too much to the point of boredom.

Now, Hermione had a low paying thrilling job that caused her to stumble into her home drunk everyday. She was now head of the Department of Mysteries. It was a job that she never got tired of; day after day, she would take on a new adventure. Sadly, it gave her barely enough to make it through every month and Hermione had to cut back tremendously.

Today, Hermione was beyond drunk. It had been a bad horrible sickening day.

"_Miss Granger, Ms. Weasley is here to see you..." Hermione's secretary, Brenda informed as she peeked into the office of "Miss Granger." Brenda was a girl that Hermione hated and glared at every second and Brenda knew it. Hermione hated her with every ounce of gut she had. She had shiny yellow hair that was curled just right above her slender smooth shoulders. Her eyes were large, blue, and captivating with her small dainty nose and light pink lips that were as soft as… god knows what. She had a slender body and sophisticated clothes that didn't show too much to make her a slut but showed enough to boast about her figures. It must be jealousy but Hermione liked to say that it was Brenda's innocent and sweet attitude._

_Brenda saw every glare that Hermione foisted upon her. She was scared of her. _

_Despite her hate for Brenda, Hermione was never able to fire her. She was a fast worker and thinker. She was honest and hard working. She was organized and, although Hermione couldn't admit, the perfect secretary._

"_Well, tell her to come in." Hermione said rather coldly. _

_Just a few seconds later, Ginny burst in, her face flushed and with a small frown on her face._

"_All right, Hermione. What's the problem? You've been borrowing a great amount of money from me ever month and I haven't got even a knut back! I have bills to pay too! And you're worrying Harry and Ron. _

_Hermione sighed. "You told Harry and Ron? You didn't have to do that did you?" _

"_Yes I did. Ron because he's my brother and he should know where my money goes and Harry because it's HIS money that I'm giving to you. Harry and I have to start saving up money for our house when we get married. Either you get yourself straight or we have to stop giving you money now." _

_Hermione looked at Ginny pleadingly. "Ginny… please. I really need this."_

"_I know, and I'm sorry but I've been putting you before me for too long and it's giving Harry and me a lot of trouble. Can't you find another job or something?" Ginny sat down in front of Hermione._

"_No. I love this job, Ginny. It's my dream. It's fun, exciting, adventurous… I just can't leave. Please, Ginny. I'll do anything; don't cut everything off now…"_

_Ginny got teary eyed. "I'm… I'm sorry Hermione… I can't…"_

_There were a few minutes of silence._

"_Okay." Hermione said in a barely audible voice._

"_I'm sorry, Hermione. We'll help you through it, just not financially."_

"_No… no, it's fine. I can handle myself, thank you." There was a tint of anger in her voice. She should really learn to calm herself one day…_

"_Hermione…"_

"_I believe this meeting is over. Have a nice day, Ginny."_

"_Hermione… please…"_

_Hermione stood up and opened the door. "Thank you for coming. Good bye." Hermione waited. Finally, Ginny got up and rushed out the door, her face in her hands sobbing._

_Hermione felt bad._

_But that was life._

Hermione stuck her key in the lock and slammed her door behind her. The first soft thing that she touched, she fell on in and fell asleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Saturdays. By golly did Hermione love Saturdays. The Ministry opened late on Saturdays. So Hermione slept until nine… ten… sometimes eleven.

However, today, Hermione woke up at seven.

With a hot steaming mug of coffee sitting next to her on her kitchen table, Hermione was surrounded by papers wadded up or clean. She had been brainstorming ways to make money.

_1. Get a part time job somewhere in the weekends._

That was out of question Hermione would be way too tired. Besides, she would only have Saturday morning and night and Sundays.

_2. Invent something and sell it._

No thank you. Dealing with the new conflicts that she came across everyday was enough.

_3. Get married…_

Hermione had actually thought on that one. She could marry someone with money. They didn't have to have too much; just enough. Hermione wouldn't make a bad wife either. She wasn't ugly or stupid or anything.

But who to marry was the big question that Hermione didn't have the answer to.

_4. Borrow money._

As soon as that idea hit the paper, she crossed it out. She had just experienced how that went.

_5. Go back to living with Mom and Dad._

That soon went away too. Hermione was a 26 year old woman with potential. She did not have to be the ugly old woman living with her parents until she died of being a stupid virgin.

Hermione was pretty in a way. Her wispy brown hair stopped a few inches below her sexy shoulders. Her chocolate eyes accented on the creamy texture of her baby soft skin. She had a perfectly symmetrical nose; not too pointy but not too piggy. She had gone through many men in her past, but obviously, none had worked out very well. Her friends would wonder why she never got a decent man and would come to the conclusion that she was hidden under dark bags under her eyes and her tired hangover look on her face everyday.

Hermione began to feel more and more hopeless.

She had all sorts of crazy ideas; work at bars, be a stripper, be a whore, steal money, win the lottery.

Then, there were the ideas that seemed efficient… five years ago: write a book, live in the Order's Headquarters, Go back to Hogwarts and beg Dumbledore to let her stay there, commit suicide and so on and so forth.

Hermoine threw her quill across the room. Ink smeared on the wall of her pride and glory. Her house.

Hermione had found it.

She had found the house unwanted and unused on the streets of London near the Ministry. There was a "For Sale" sign on it that looked as if it would fall off any second.

It was beautiful. There was a lawn filled with dying yellow grass and flies swarming over it to get the whiff of dog crap. The windows were broken… or more like gone. The door was cracked into two. The walls were breaking and fragile as paper. There were no lights and no working sink. Spider webs hovered over every one of the four small and pungent bedrooms.

Hermione fell in love. She called up the man on the "For Sale" sign and bought the house for just a few hundred pounds.

In a month, Hermione had magically, literally, transformed her house. There were roses and tulips on her flower bed with healthy green grass sprawled over her front lawn. Her door was fixed and opening and closing just as new. She had wide sparkling clean windows and colorful wallpaper that she had picked out carefully. In just a few weeks, her home was her power and joy, the only reason for existence.

And so, as Hermione took her stroll along memory lane, an idea hummed in her head and everything clicked together like a puzzle.

House.

Four Bedrooms.

One person.

Money.

Rent.

House…

House…

Jumping off her chair, Hermione screamed… with delight.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"GOOD MORNING BRENDA!" Hermione cried as she entered her department. Brenda looked up, confused and smiling nervously.

"G-good morning."

"How is your day? Fine? Good!" Hermione smiled sweetly. "I love the outfit! It really brings out the color of your gorgeous eyes. Mmm- lovely." Hermione grinned widely as she entered her office.

"HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL OFFICE! YOU'RE LOOKING MIGHTY FINE TODAY!" Hermione spoke to her empty room.

"What's wrong with her?" John Pickle asked Brenda.

Brenda shrugged. "No idea. I think she just yelled good morning to the whole city and complimented my outfit." She shrugged again. "I think she's on something."

"ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT EVERYONE! LET'S GET STARTED! OH BRENDA… YOU LOOK SO MIGHTY DASHING TODAY." Hermione exclaimed to Brenda. "Wait! I have something for y'all! Wait right here and I'll be back in a jiffy!" Hermione ran back into her room as her workers mumbled ferociously. They finally came to a conclusion set forth by John.

"I bet she got laid."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following morning, there was a small ad on the paper along with the usual Zonko, Three Broomsticks, Ollivanders and etc.

_Looking for a place to stay?_

_Well, here's your chance! Room available on Fifth Street in London, only a few blocks away from the Ministry itself! There will be two rooms provided in the magnificent and grand four bedroom house! So take this offer of a lifetime and contact Hermione Granger at the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic! _

Hermione tapped her quill restlessly on her desk.

There had been no visitors so far this morning. Just a knock… any knock would have gotten Hermione off this chair but there was no such knock.

Hermione sighed. It had cost Hermione the last bit of her borrowed money from Ginny to pay for that ad and it had become quite a disappointment.

There was laughing outside. She could hear Brenda's giggling clearly.

'Stupid bitch.' Hermione thought crankily. 'Having the time of her life while I'm stuck in here waiting for my future roommate to come.' Hermione moved her foot to go scream at her but she stopped. She knew it was mean and stupid and she shouldn't do that. She'll have to wait until the end of the day, and if she was still in that rotten mood, she would let it all out then.

There was still that deep voice and more giggle and chattering.

Hermione's tapping grew louder and faster.

The noises outside grew faint and Hermione heard the door swing open and creak close again.

Hermione would usually never allow an employee to leave in the middle of the day but Hermione just couldn't leave the chair.

Time ticked by.

No roommate.

After what seemed like eternity, the clock struck to the Roman numeral VI and Hermione grabbed her purse and kicked her door open. The place was nearly deserted except for a few early night shifters.

"What are you looking at? It's not the first time you've seen me, is it?"

Immediately, the heads turned back into their work.

Smirking slightly, Hermione passed Brenda's desk, mentally making a note to talk her off the next day for leaving.

Hermione apparated to Three Broomsticks like usual.

"Hello Madame Rosmerta. I'll like my usual please."

"Two fire whiskeys coming right up, Miss Granger. You know, you should really stop drinking so much everyday. It's not the best thing for you."

Hermione grimaced. "Tough day today."

Madame Rosmerta sighed and silently muttered "Like everyday." And scurried off to another important customer. Hermione swore to herself and glared at Madame Rosmerta when she delivered her fire whiskey.

Bottle after bottle, Hermione chugged down her whiskey until she was too drunk to open her eyes.

"Miss Granger- we're closing."

"Do I give a fuck?"

"Miss Granger, please."

"Leave me alone god damn it!"

"Miss…"

"I'm going I'm going! Gosh woman! Where's you're patience? Jeez…" Hermione grabbed her purse and zigzagged out.

She reached her home once more. Following her same routine as everyday, she jammed her key into the door and shut it behind her.

As soon as she entered her house, she bumped into a wall, causing her to stumble back.

"AHH! WHEN DID THIS DUMBASS WALL GET HERE?" Hermione shrieked as she smacked her purse on it.

It yelped and fell down.

Hermione's wall moved.

She felt her eyes growing wider.

"Holy crap, Granger! What the hell was that?"

Her wall could talk. And her wall knew her!

The wall groaned. She could have sworn she saw the hair.

Hermione brought the wall up to her eye level and looked at it closely.

It wasn't a wall.

It was a person.

It wasn't any person.

It was Draco Malfoy.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I know I shouldn't start on new stories but I couldn't help it. It started out as a stupid little fic about Hermione being raped everyday by her boss and Draco coming to the rescue and yada doo and yada dee. But I changed it. I hope you enjoyed! This was the most unexpected story ever. Anyways… please give me some feedback. Before I start a story, I never know if it's going to be going up or down. It might end up with like fifty reviews or zero. I'll never know.

Toodles!

Youngwriter 56


	2. attack of a bird

Wow. I'm very impressed. I didn't expect so much feedback. After I read all the reviews, I read my chapter and realized that all of you WERE right. Hermione can't get so drunk. What was I thinking? Gosh. I'm so weird sometimes. Maybe because I was writing it at like 11:00 PM and I still had homework to do. And I really wasn't into this story in the first place. But after all that feedback, I guess I'll have to go on, right?

So let's think of reasons for Hermione to be drunk on the first chapter.

1. Tough day at work. Hey, she really wanted that roommate.

2. She felt like it.

3. It was on sale at Three Broomsticks! Totally!

4. She gets 50 percent off all purchase of fire whiskey because she had an ex boyfriend who worked there but tried to rape her (but failed) so she's threatening him with it. Oh yeah. Girl power!

5. Her fire whiskey is actually… apple juice!

There. There are our five reasons for Hermione being drunk in the first chapter. Trust me, it won't happen again. Hermione quit. Or she can quit this chapter. Haha.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Wait, so tell me again why you need a roommate?"

Draco sighed. "I got fed up with my mother's gloomy and depressed attitudes everyday. I ran away and I don't have a place to stay. Zabini's mother is on the verge of kicking me out and she will do it in a second if she finds me coming home with another girl. I don't have enough money for a house of my own."

Hermione smiled. "Tell me again."

Draco threw up his hands in the air in exasperation. "For gods sake, Granger, I've told you about fifty times now!"

Hermione's eyes grew smaller. She began to get up when Draco yelped and pushed her down. "Okay, okay! I got pissed at my mom so I ran off and stayed with Zabini. But now, Zabini's mom is about to kick me out so I need a place to live and I don't have enough money. Happy?"

"No."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?"

"That you're sorry and you've been an ass to me and my friends for a fourth of my whole lifetime and you know it and you will do anything to make it up for me."

"No!"

"Fine." Hermione got up and started to walk to the door.

"Fine! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay? Is that good? Happy? Satisfied?"

"No."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, you know what I want Mr. Malfoy." Hermione grinned.

"No I don- yes! Yes I do!" He stopped when Hermione began to inch closer to the door.

"Good! Now, repeat after me."

"Now repeat after me."

"I, biggest asshole of all times, named Draco Malfoy," Hermione watched him eagerly.

"I… I biggest asshole of all times, Draco Malfoy,"

"Admit to being the fattest and cruelest wanker of all times."

"Wanker? What the hell?"

"SAY IT!" Hermione moved violently forward.

"OKAY! Admit to being the biggest wanker of all times,"

"I promise full heartedly,"

"Promise full heartedly,"

"To follow all leadership of the gorgeous and amazing Hermione Granger,"

There was silence. Draco's pale complexion turned into a rosy pink.

"To… f-f-follow all l-l-l-l-leadership of the wonderful H-Hermione Granger,"

"And to treat her as an ethereal goddess and beauty,"

"To treat her as a g-god? This is so stup- er- endous?"

"Go on, Malfoy." Hermione said, with complete satisfaction and pleasure.

"Goddess and beauty"

"Okay. Now, Mr. Malfoy, it will take some time for me to meet some other clients and make my decision so I will get back to you in about a month or so. Thank you for coming."

"WHAT? I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR THE LAST LIKE HOUR SAYING ALL THIS DUMB CRAP ABOUT YOU AND YOU'RE KICKING ME OUT? YOU CAN'T DO THIS- YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY OTHER CLIENTS!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "How do you know I don't have other people?"

"Er…" Draco gulped. Oh, gosh, Brenda was going to kill him. "Your- your secretary."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"BRENDA MALLISON, YOU ARE SO DEFINITELY INVEVITABLY FIRED."

Everyone in the department of mysteries stared at their raging and lunatic boss who had just charged into the building.

"Wait! No! Don't do it!" Draco Malfoy, son of former ministry suck up, ran inside and kneeled in front of Hermione.

"Leave me alone! BRENDA! GET OUT! PACK ALL YOUR THINGS AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

"NO! BRENDA! I'M SO SORRY!"

"YOU BETTER BE SORRY! SO SHOULD BRENDA! NOW LET GO OF MY LEG!" Draco was now grabbing onto her leg.

"I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS! YOU KNOW IT'S MY FAULT, HERMIONE! LEAVE BRENDA OUT OF IT! SHIT! I SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN TOLD YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE IF I HAD KNOWN YOU DIDN'T LIKE BRENDA."

"I have NOTHING against Brenda. I have something against other PEOPLE talking about ME behind my BACK or telling other PEOPLE about my own PERSONAL stuff."

"We weren't… talking behind your back."

"YES YOU WERE!"

"NO! YOU WERE FACING US IN THE OFFICE WHEN WE WERE TALKING! So technically, we weren't talking behind your BACK. Hah!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's just pathetic. YOU'RE A FUCKING 26 YEAR OLD AND YOU'RE TELLING ME ALL THESE STUPID DUMB EXCUSES!"

"I'M NOT 26! I'M 27! MY BIRTDAY WAS A WEEK AGO!"

"Well, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, BUT I'M SORRY, I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHEN YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS!"

"Well," Draco started. "Okay, look. You know how stupid we sound right now? Don't you think we should leave all our past behind and get along? Be friends?"

"NO. Do you THINK I can trust you?"

"No…"

"Then thank you, but NO THANK YOU FOR THE OFFER, MALFOY. NOW BACK OFF."

"Er… Miss Granger?"

Hermione whipped around to come face to face with John, her employee.

"WHAT." She said harshly, making John shiver.

"Er… well… B-Brenda's n-n-not h-here."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The house was deathly silent.

Bottom line: Draco and Hermione had made a complete idiotic fool of themselves.

Draco already had a bad reputation from his father and just ruined it all by running after the head of the department of ministry, yelling stupid comebacks like a callow five year old and holding on to Hermione's leg.

But Hermione was beyond outraged. IN FRONT OF ALL HER WORKERS, she had spat ugly invectives and made a complete fool out of herself with Draco grabbing her leg and ranting about how she was going to fire Brenda.

Now, Hermione sat on her armchair, fuming and breathing very hard while Draco watched her from across the room- for his own safety.

They had been like that for the past hour, the only sound being the ticking of the clock.

Then, Hermione spoke.

"I need a butter beer." (A/N: See how I changed it to something much more better? Haha.)

She stood up, grabbing her jean jacket on the way. She walked toward the brick fireplace and stopped.

"You coming or not?"

Draco looked at her in shock. First, she's shaking him off her, screaming and glaring at him, and now, she was offering to take a drink with her.

Fair enough.

Draco jumped up and followed Hermione. She threw some floo powder inside and exclaimed, "Three Broomsticks!" and in a green mist, she was gone. Following the routine, Draco threw in the powder and was twirled into the bar. He caught site of Hermione, sitting down on a table in the far corner.

A table for two.

Partly excited, scared, and unsure, he walked over to her.

Slowly, he sat down across of her. She didn't retaliate in any way.

Relaxing, he called Madame Rosmerta over. "I'll have a fire whiskey."

"Butter beer for me."

Madame Rosmerta grinned at Hermione. "I see you've quit."

Hermione shrugged. "I have my reasons."

"And… I believe this is Draco Malfoy? You aren't…"

"Yes I am. Thanks for asking." Draco muttered moodily.

"Well this is certainly a sight to see." Madame Rosmerta watched Draco suspiciously. "You're not dangerous like your father, right?"

"NO!"

"Just making sure. Well, have fun, you too. A couple I never expected… but they're perfect for each other," she muttered and with a little "Hmmmmph," Madame Rosmerta walked off with their orders.

"No, wait! Is that what she thinks?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you going to do anything about it? She thinks we're a couple!"

"Aren't we?" Hermione asked.

"WHAT?" Draco gaped at her. She did not just say what he thought she said.

"Well, Draco sweetie, for all we've been through together, I'll say we're the best couple in the universe!" Hermione smiled saccharinely to the waitress who came by with their drinks.

"I-you-what-us-are-wait, what?"

"I'm just kidding. It's just a little joke. You're going to have to live with it."

"Yeah… wait! Does that mean…"

Hermione sipped her butter beer. "Of course. I don't have any other customers, do I?"

Draco smiled. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Oh! You're the best!"

"Oh? Am I?"

"YES! Oh, and don't tell Brenda about…"

"Oh, she's history. I've been looking for an excuse to fire her. And you can't change my mind because I'm all set and have all her papers ready. I've recommended her for higher, you know. So don't worry about your Brenda."

"No! It's not like that… it's just she tends to get a bit… well, she has a short temper, and she'll literally kill me if she found out." Draco poured the whiskey into his mouth.

"Don't worry. She'll know about it by tomorrow. Word travels fast around the ministry."

"Yeah… what happened to you being an auror? I thought you caught up with Potter and Weasley and became one of them?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I like my job."

"Uh-huh. Face it, you're nearly broke."

"Yeah."

"Then leave and get a better job!"

"No. I like my place. I can't leave it. It's my second home."

Suddenly, Hermione's head jerked up.

"Who the fuck are you? What the hell are you doing here? What am I telling you?" Hermione looked down. "What am I doing here?" She grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

Draco watched her with awe. Then, he swiftly got up his chair, threw a galleon on the table and ran after her.

"HERMIONE!"

Hermione was running- he had no idea where, but she was running and she was going fast.

"HERMIONE! WAIT!"

"NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME? ONE MINUTE, YOU'RE MAKING A FOOL OUT OF ME AND THE NEXT, WE'RE SITTING IN THREE BROOMSTICKS DRINKING AND TALKING!"

People stared.

"I DON'T KNOW! I GUESSED YOU WERE OVER IT!"

"DO YOU THINK I WOULD GET OVER SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I NEED TIME TO THINK THESE THINGS OVER, MALFOY AND YOU DELIBERATELY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT! YOU EVIL-" Taking one final deathly look back at the panting Draco, she sprinted off into La-La land.

"Tough luck, man. She was pretty hot, and you left her. You got what you deserved." A guy patted Draco's back as he bent over and groaned in his hands.

It was the second time today that he had exacerated his reputation and made him look like a complete idiot.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Granger, please. Open the door."

Nothing.

"Please! It's freezing out here! I don't have anywhere else to go. Let me in, please?"

Silence.

Draco began to lose his patience.

"Granger, I'm freezing to death out here and I have no idea what just happened so please let me in so we can talk."

A man walked by, tsking and shaking his head.

Right then, he lost it.

"ALL RIGHT, GRANGER, I'M SICK OF EVERYTHING! FIRST, YOU SCREAM IN MY FACE AND KICK ME AROUND AND HIT ME, THEN YOU ASK IF I WANTED A DRINK WITH YOU, AND THEN, YOU SCREAM AT ME AGAIN AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY! LET ME IN!" Draco rattled the doorknob.

Right then, a black crow-like bird swooped down and pecked his cheek.

Draco fell down from the front steps and into the pile of cold freezing grass, moaning, crying, bleeding, and crouching in his fetal position.

"What the hell are you doing on my front yard, Malfoy?"

Draco, over his slight tears, looked at Hermione walking up the street with a Honeydukes bag in her hand.

He looked back at Hermione, then the door.

"DOPE!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"…so while you were pounding away at my door, a black bird flew down and cut you? And why did I miss this?" Hermione laughed.

She soaked the cloth with alcohol and gently touched it on his fragile skin.

Draco flinched.

"Shhhhhhh. Don't move or it'll hurt more."

"aeughhh."

"I know it hurts, but you just have to hold it in."

"Eipqyf."

"There. That wasn't too bad, was it?"

Draco, with his teary face shook his head.

He was so cute when he did that with his neon pink band aid on his pale complexion.

He looked into Hermione's eyes and felt that tingly sensation he always felt, either a second or hour, before IT happened.

Hermione sensed it too because her face moved forward into Draco's.

At the same moment, their eyes fluttered and closed, dedicating themselves entirely into the kiss.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Awwwwwww. They kissssss! Oh yeah.

Sorry for the PERTY bad chapter. I know some of you must have been eager for better and was a bit disappointed. Admit it!

Thanks for the response to ALL of you. Thanks so much. I was really shocked and overwhelmed by it. Thank you to: **monkeystarz, shortstuff10, anonymous, anonymous (mAI), paws903, NeVeRmInD2, JewelBlossom, FarDeep, anonymous (artemis), simply-obsessed, marissaAn, anonymous (Jexi), Syaoronsangel, anonymous (leticia69), allamericangirl101 **who really made my day.

Toodles,

Youngwriter56


	3. the exfiance and the hunk

What is wrong with this story?

EVERYTHING!

FIRST CHAPTER: HERMIONE IS DRUNK AND EVERYONE IS OOC.

SECOND CHAPTER: EVERYONE IS OOC AND EVERYTHING IS SO CONFUSING AND THEY KISSED WAY TOO EARLY. I'M SO MAD. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO KISS IN A LATER LATER CHAPTER AND BUILD UP TO IT. SO MUCH FOR SUSPENSE AND "BUILDING UP TO THE CLIMAX." WHATEVER.

I almost deleted my second chapter, but I voted not to because I did spend time on it.

Thank you for all who were honest and told me that my chapter was… odd. If you didn't, thank you anyway. And thank you especially for **dan4me** for inspiring me fully to complete this chapter today. And not wait a week. Also, **FarDeep** for the very cute review and **Monday Mornings**, **ShortStuff10**, and **HRInuyashaFan16** for the reviews that made me realize that this story was sort of OOC or confusing. Thanks a lot.

**LOTSA SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

For an hour or two, it had been silent.

The dark crimson clock ticked and the annoyingly loud cricket chirped harder than usual.

In a dining room

On a table

Sat two young and ravishing adults

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy

The past hours have been painfully silent.

They were recalling back to when everything started.

Ad- Draco- Brenda- department of mystery- Hogsmeade- argument- house- bird- band aid- kiss- shock- table- and then, there was silence. The chain of events that day was truly remarkable.

And now, it was time for the argument.

"What the hell was that?"

Draco shrugged.

"I mean, one minute, you're screaming and crying and the next, we're… Is it just me, or is it just me, but did we actually… kiss?"

"It's not you."

Hermione glared at Draco. "That wasn't an option you know."

"But it's the truth"

"That- that- kiss was…" Hermione trailed off, thinking.

"Unexpected" Draco suggested.

"Odd"

"Unacceptable"

"Forbidden"

"Fantastic."

Hermione had to agree.

"You know what, Draco? Malfoy? I can't be your housemate. Look at what just happened. That can't happen again! I'm scared that'll happen again. You're just going to have to find another place to stay."

Draco looked in awe and partial anger. "Why? Who says it WILL happen again? Come on, Granger. I don't and can't live with a complete stranger!"

"No. As much as how both of us are desperate for a roommate, it's not going to work out."

"Yes it will"

"No, it won't! Don't argue with me! I can't get tangled up in something with you when you're my worst enemy and I hate you!"

"We won't even talk! We won't even acknowledge each other! I'll just have my room and I'll be all set!"

Hermione shook her head. "No."

"God damn it, Granger! Stop being such a bitch and get over yourself. That kiss will never happen again, okay? Happy?"

"NO!"

Draco's face turned blank. "W-what?"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITH YOU! IF YOU'RE GOING TO SIT THERE AND SCREAM AT ME AND BOTHER ME LIKE THAT- IT'S MY CHOICE AND I CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE YOU. GOOD BYE"

"Granger-"

"I'm serious! Get out! I've had it today! It's been the longest day of my LIFE. LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Longest day? LONGEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE? WELL, CRY ME A RIVER, BUT HAVE YOU EVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH? Here I am, pathetic and poor, before my least favorite PMSing mudblood, begging to share a house with her, and I get attacked by a bird and now, she's screaming at me to get out! Long day, huh?"

Hermione didn't reply. Her eyes yelled kill.

Draco could almost see the fire and hell behind those two originally dirt brown eyes.

He knew what that meant.

Crazy, PMSing, furious girl attacks.

From reflexes, Draco grabbed her wrist that was about to slam down on his fragile skin. He held her, fretting, pushing, and hitting.

"GRANGER! GRANGER! OKAY OKAY! LET'S MAKE A COMPROMISE! COMPROMISE- GOD DAMN IT! A FUCKING COMPROMISE!"

"I- WILL- KILL- YOU- YOU- EVIL- CRUEL- STUPID- ARROGANT- ARISTOCRATIC- BASTARD- I- WILL- TAKE- YOUR- NECK- AND- HANG- IT- TO- THE- FIRST- FUCKING- TREE- I – SEE- AND- HANG- YOU- BY- THE- FIRST- FUCKING- ROPE- OR- LEASH- I – SEE- YOU-DEAD- SON- OF – A- BITCH-"

Sighing of a loss of confidence, Draco took a deep breath and landed his lips on Hermione's screaming mouth. After a brief kissing war, Draco let go of her.

"What the fuck was that for? YOU SEE WHY I CAN'T ROOM WITH YOU?"

"No. Why?"

"Because THIS is what's going to happen. Why the hell did you do that? You just made everything more complicated."

"I did? How so?" Draco said, clearly amused.

"I- You- NEVER MIND."

"For your information, if I hadn't kissed you then, you never would have shut up, not like I would have heard it because you probably would have killed me. See? I did it for self defense. You're not killing me now, so I guess it worked." Draco said nonchalantly, sighing and leaning on hes chair.

Hermione glared.

"I hate you."

"I love you too, Granger."

"You're the most disgusting, filthy, annoying, arrogant, dumb, and repulsive creature alive in this planet."

"What about dead? Are you admitting that I'm actually not as disgusting, filthy, annoying, arrogant, dumb, and repulsive than dead things? I am so honored."

"SHUT UP! YOU HALF WITTED GIT! THIS IS MY HOUSE AND MY RULES AND I WANT YOU OUT."

"You can't force me to get out. And you know it."

"No I don't."

"Really? Well I never! I thought our brainy little Granger knew EVERYTHING."

"Well-"

"Look, Granger. I promise I won't kiss you again- unless you wish me to- if you promise that you won't go all crazy on me again. I swear I won't even talk to you and I'll stay out of your way. Please? I'll do anything you wish me to. I'll even stay locked up in my room 24/7. Or I won't even ask for food. Trust me, Granger. You'll never find a roommate as good as me. You won't regret it. I may even show you some of my things I never show anyone."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

Draco winked. "Let your imagination wander, love. Good night." With a small peck on her delicate and very shaking hand, he strutted off into the hallway of her home and walked into his newly declared bedroom and didn't show up again.

Shivering, Hermione trudged to her own room and fell into her bed.

Her imagination did wander.

Too much.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Good morning sunshine!" A voice called early in the morning. Hermione dug her head under her soft pillow. Footsteps marched in as she heard her floral curtains being drawn to release the bright and happy sunlight.

"Lemeflone"

"Hmm, darling? You said something?"

"Leave me fucking alone. And don't call me these little saccharine nicknames."

"Why not, sweet buns? I thought you would especially like them!"

"Go away. Let me sleep."

"Aren't you going to work today, cinnamon?"

Hermione's head jerked up as she stared at her pink clock that read that she was very very late and everyone was impatiently waiting for her.

"Shit."

"Language, honey."

"By the time I get back, I want your fucking ass out of my house. Understand?" She said coldly as she jumped out and ran into her closet. She came out, dressed in a knee length green corduroy skirt and a simple white blouse.

"Nah, that skirt complexion doesn't match the blouse, love."

"Are you GAY?"

"Go either way." Draco said, running his hand through his untidy blonde hair. He was already dressed; jeans and a casual striped polo shirt with far too many undone buttons and sleeves rolled up.

Draco Malfoy was definitely a morning person.

Taking Draco's queer advice, Hermione slammed back into her closet and came out with long khaki pants and light green collar shirt.

"Nice."

"Shut up." Hermione mumbled as she stuffed her make up kit inside a small white purse and played with her hair until it was nice and curly.

She ran across the house, with Draco tagging along. As Hermione got ready to step into the fireplace, Draco held out a mug of steaming hot coffee and a bagel.

"Have a fun day at work, daisy."

Raising a perfect eyebrow, Hermione threw her floo powder in and yelled, "Department of mysteries!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"H-hello Miss Granger." Brenda nodded nervously as Hermione walked in.

"Hello Brenda." Hermione stopped at her desk and smiled.

Brenda looked like she was going to cry.

"L-look. About Draco- he came to the office, but I didn't let him in because I didn't think you would want to see him. And he kept flirting with me and he e-eventually got me to spill that you…"

"Brenda?"

"Y-y-y-y-yes?"

"You're fired." Hermione tossed the papers on Brenda's clean and tidy desk and walked into her own office.

That felt good.

Hermione was evil.

She looked at the bagel.

It could be poisoned.

It could be not.

Smiling, Hermione exited her room again and sat down by a shocked Brenda.

"Hey, Brenda, could you eat this bagel for me? Thanks."

Throwing the mystery bagel on top of the papers, she left her ex-secretary very bewildered.

Hermione chugged down her coffee and forgot to wonder if that had any poison in it. Hermione relaxed in a small couch by the wall. She could hear her fellow workers talking as clear as if they were speaking in her ear. It was her biggest office secret. Every rumor, every backstabbing, every secret, Hermione heard it. Of course, she could only hear distinctly from her special sofa, but it was there and Hermione loved it. She knew who in the department hated her, loved her. thought she was a crackpot, worshipped her, and etc.

Now, she heard John and Brenda. John liked Brenda. She had heard John tell his office buddy, Ted.

"Miss Granger acting high today again?" John fell under the extensive list of people who thought she was a crackhead.

"Even worse. I'm fired."

Pause.

Hermione grinned. She knew John would do that. After all, who would want their biggest crush to go away and never speak to them again?

Well, it just happened.

And, Hermione caused it.

She laughed.

She was purely evil.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco yelped.

Yelped yelped, like "Ah!" or "Yes!" yelp.

Slamming the book cover down, he grabbed his wand, muttered a spell and after a few seconds, one red and healthy balloon sprouted from the tip of his wand. Giggling feverishly, Draco made more and more and more balloons until balloons covered the entire floor.

Oh, would Granger kick him out now?

**It was a party**. A real live party thrown by a real live Slytherin for a real live Gryffindor. Unbelievably true, yes, but it was the last strand of desperate needs. A need of a home.

Wouldn't Granger flip when she saw what he had planned?

Yes. Totally. Definitely.

Draco was the sweetest thing alive. He could be the meanest creature alive and dead as well. How else would he have gotten some of his girls? He would charm them endlessly; fake diamonds here and there, cute kisses in public, and flowers every week. Then, he would break their hearts and make a complete idiotic fool out of them and laugh at their crying face running to hide and be shunned forever.

So of course, planning a party was not very hard.

Granger would come home at seven, the house would be dark, the lights will go on, and she'll see balloons everywhere and flowers everywhere, and then BOOM! The music would turn on and Draco would enter in sexily, rose between his teeth and the delivery guy would come right at that moment to bring a basket full of a woman's fantasies.

And then, she'll realize what a sexy beast he was and fall for him and keep him and he'll have a place to stay.

Draco gamboled to the kitchen where the "to do" list lay ready and mostly checked off on the table.

Balloons: check.

Call delivery guy: check.

Flowers: check.

Signs: check.

Sexy cologne: check.

Outfit: check.

Hermione: empty.

No Hermione. How to reach Hermione? How should he tell her to come home by seven?

Draco paced around in circles. Around and around and around like a merry go around.

He doubted he could ever call her. After he had left his home, he had learned how to use the fellytone from some of his family friends in the ministry. But he hated it because it would ring in his ear and it bothered him.

He had lost his owl when on his abrupt departure and had left it hanging somewhere in his house or Blaises' house.

He would just have to go there himself.

Unbuttoning a few more buttons, he entered her decorated fireplace and mimicked Hermione's call for the department of mysteries.

The day before, he had entered the same building and met her very hot secretary. Beatrice? Belle? Whatever her name was, she was one hell of a chick and he could just see the greenness of one of the employee when he was fondling with her.

Today, he strolled in, shaking off his immaculate shirt and smirking at the killer male employees.

"Hello there."

The girl looked up. Brenda. That was it.

"What do you want this time? Could you just leave please?"

"Me? Why would I do that when I can stand here and stare at a beautiful woman standing in front of me?" he smiled his most handsome, charming, gorgeous, jaw-dropping, girl fainting, fuckable flash.

He could see her pale cheeks grow rosy.

Oh, what a naive girl she was.

She wouldn't be able to go far in life like this- looking like a model every day but falling for the easiest seducing lines in the book.

"Could I see your boss, please?"

Brenda's face hardened. Okay… maybe she wasn't that stupid… yet.

"No."

"Oh, come on sweetheart."

"No. She fired me this morning and it's your entire fault."

"Aw… I'm sorry about that." Draco sighed and fell back on a chair in front of her.

"I'm serious."

"You know what? Me too."

"Just stop it! You can't seduce me to let you see her!"

"Yes I can."

"No, you can't!"

"I believe I did so yesterday."

Brenda was fuming. She was so cute when she did that.

"Listen, love. I need to see your boss. I don't have time to sit and drink tea with you. Cry me a river- I'm going to see her."

"Why."

"Excuse me?"

"Why do you want to see her? Give me a good reason."

"Is it just me, or is our little Brenda… jealous?"

"NO! Why do you want to see her? If you're not going to listen to me tell you what I need to tell you, the most you can do for me is to tell me what I want you to tell me."

"That made no sense, you know that, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay"

"Just give me a reason to see her and I'll let you in… if it's good time."

"I don't need a reason to see the love of my life when she's at work, okay?" Draco grinned. She would probably fall for this one as well.

Brenda's perfectly chiseled chin dropped.

"Sir? Draco- you're not going to want to go in there."

"Yes I will."

"No you won't."

"Oh?"

"Oh."

"Who says?"

"I do- and her former fiancé."

This time, it was Draco's turn to drop his jaw.

"Fiancé?"

Brenda nodded. "Two years ago? She was supposed to get married to her best friend, but she broke it off when it was the decision of that wedding to this job. And she chose the job. Got a lot of respect by that around here… probably the only respect." She added grumpily.

"Best friend?"

"Yep. Er- Donald? Conald? Ronald? One of those."

"Ron Weasley? Red hair, tall and lanky and ugly disgrace to purebloods?"

"That's the one. Except I thought he was pretty cool. He cracked us all up you know. Broke some tensions here and there and threw in a silly joke here and there."

"She was going to marry him?"

"Duh."

"He's in here right now?"

"That's what I said. So I don't think you should go in there… wait a minute."

"NO." Draco shot out as he tried to get past the desk.

"Wait-" Brenda stopped him. "If Miss Granger is the 'love of your life' then how come you don't know about Ron? Perhaps…" Brenda gasped. Pretty smart for a dumb blonde.

"You were a virgin and she got you laid and you think she's the love of your life because of that but she threw you away! Wow. Man, that's pretty tough. Although that would be hard for you considering how much of a seducer you are…" Brenda sighed.

Draco rammed his head in his hands. Back up that thought about her being 'pretty smart for a dumb blonde.' She was stupider than a dumb duck.

Brenda giggled. "You know… I'm quite single… and I can say I can definitely take you into my place to teach you some stuff about… well you know…" She giggled feverishly. That was disgusting.

"No thanks."

"I can promise you a night you'll never forget."

"It's all right."

"I'm not a virgin you know…" She blushed. He groaned.

Draco looked from Hermione's lovesick secretary to the hard mysterious door of the office.

He chose the door.

Pushing past, he let out a small sigh and made his way into the office.

True enough, Ronald Weasley was sitting on the sofa, talking in serious but quite flirtatious manner with Hermione. They both looked up.

"What the hell do you want?" Ron spat.

"You're coming with me." Draco huffed and grabbed Hermione's wrist, pulling her toward him. She winced. Ron tried to dive for her.

"Hermione! No! Malfoy- you stay away from her!"

"Make me." Draco shot back as he twirled Hermione around and captured her lips into his. Their bodies molded into one as they both tirelessly were wrapped up in their own fantasies and wishes.

Draco- getting Hermione to fall for him so he could stay with her in that wonderful house of hers.

Hermione- getting rid of Ron.

It was a win-win situation that would never occur again.

Or so they thought.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sure, Draco was hot. Very hot. Immensely sizzling.

Ronald was nothing compared to him. He was a bony and skinny boy who ate five times as much as a normal human being and was too tall for his own good. He had a brain as big as a walnut and knowledge of feelings as big as a grain of sand. But he was funny.

Draco was tall, muscular, and gorgeous boy who ate only twice as much as a normal human being who had a brain half of her size and knowledge of feelings as big as a walnut. But he had the wisdom of the act of seduction.

So there Hermione lay on her couch, reading her Witch Weekly when a pale Brenda peeks in and whispers that Ronald Weasley was there.

Oh joy.

Sure, she had to love with him a few years back. He made her laugh. He made her smile. He made her quit work.

But there was a difference of loving and falling in love. And for Ronald, it was closer to love. She had no regrets that she had called off the wedding and shed no tears. Sure, she was disappointed that she would have to leave Ron's family who treated her as their own. But she could always meet people and find people.

Then, Ron had sauntered into the office, thinking he was much of an improvement.

He wasn't.

His hair was a red as ever, he was as tall as ever, he was as lanky as ever, he was as freckled as ever, and he was not as funny as ever. He was simply trying too hard.

"Hey, 'Mione."

"Hey yourself."

"So… nice place you got here."

"Yeah."

"I heard about your money problems. And I just want to say that you are always welcome to come to me and I'll take care of it. I have money now, 'Mione. I can help you."

"No thanks."

Ron bit his lips. Certainly not the answer he wanted- or even expected.

Red-haired ex-fiancé gets turned down by the love of his life.

Ouch.

"Look, Ron. I love you, but you're just a friend to me. I never thought of you as a love interest and I wasn't at all sad that I left you before our wedding. Really, Ron. I would have ruined my life. I was relieved I didn't make that stupid decision of marrying you. I mean, you're my best friend. I didn't want to mess that up."

Red-haired ex-fiancé looks like he's about to cry.

Nice one Granger.

Then, he tries to smile and crack some stupid joke when the god bursts in the door and grabs me.

Oh Draco Malfoy. What could I do without him?

Ron tries to hold up a fight. My wrist is hurting.

Malfoys have a grip.

There's a small verbal abuse that goes along the line of "No- Hermione! Get your hands off her, Malfoy" to the sexy drawl of "Make me."

Who knew that immature and overused lines would sound so sexy.

Then, Malfoy brings me in and kisses me for the third time in two days. Seriously, people could have thought we were dating.

Ronald stands there, alone, confused, and bewildered. Poor guy. Maybe I'll buy him a drink one day.

But the smart, witty, and evil Hermione Granger wasn't ready for Ronald. At least not yet.

So there was a free kiss when she it was offered. Being a boss, she knew a deal when she saw- or in this case felt- one.

This was a good deal. She'll get rid of Ron and at the same time share this incredible kiss with a total HUNK.

Okay… Hermione was definitely PMSing. Talk about moodswings.

She smiled and glanced over at Ron's face turn into pretty colors as he finally takes off.

Smart, witty, and evil head of the department of mysteries accomplishes her job for the day.

She looks at Draco.

"Thanks."

"Any time, hon."

A small kick and the two inevitable roommates were off.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

WOW. LONG CHAPTER. IT WAS FOR THE LONG WAIT. I WAS IN A WEEK-LONG SCHOOL TRIP AND I WAS GOING TO FINISH THIS CHAPTER THE NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT BUT I REALIZED IT WAS OING TO BE LONGG. SO I DIDN'T FINISH IT UNTIL AFTER I LEFT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. IT WAS EITHER THIS ENDING OR WHERE DRACO WAITS FOREVER IN THE HOUSE FOR HERMIONE TO GET BACK TO THROW THE PARTY, BUT SHE NEVER COMES BACK BECAUSE SHE'S OFF WITH RON AND HE FALLS ASLEEP AND HERMIONE COMES BACK AND SEES WHAT HE DID FOR HER AND LETS HIM STAY.

Yeah. This chapter was confusing. I know it. I'm being really quirky lately so I have some weird phrases that are really odd so just ignore them. I'm strange. But I think this phase will end soon. I hope. I change views fast like I'm doing a third person view and then I switch to first person. Yeah. Don't worry- I don't think it'll stay that way.

Thanks for the support guys. Hope this chapter is good enough.

Toodles.


	4. Penelope Weasley

Sorry it's been a while. I've been at a school trip… and then I came back a long time ago, but I was updating my other story. Because those readers have been waiting for that other story for even longer so I owed them. If any of you HermioneDraco readers are interested, it's called We love you professor Granger.

I'm a little disappointed that I'm not getting as much feedback and "constructive critisms" as I want and NEED. So please **please** review if there is something I need to change or fix or if you think something I wrote was bad or if I can improve on one certain thing. Don't just sit there and keep it all to yourself.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What is all this crap?" Hermione kicked a balloon into the air.

"It WAS for your party. But now, it's all ruined."

"What'd you plan a party for?"

"Well…"

"Let me guess. You thought you'll throw me a big grand party full with delivery guys delivering a bouquet of flowers, and then, I'll be so taken back by it all that I'll let you stay in this house of mine. Right?" Hermione kicked another giraffe balloon.

"It sounded better in my head…"

"Of course it did! Because it's the most idiotic, cliché thing that any guy has ever done for me to get something!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a jackass." Hermione smirked.

"I love you too, mudblood."

"Well I don't. Now get your fat arse out of my house." She pushed him toward the door, but Draco tried to resist her.

"No! I won't! I spent a long time making this party. And I do NOT have a fat arse. My ass is very firm and-"

"Okay, okay. Too much information. Now, get out."

"I have nowhere to goooooooooooo. Please?"

"Of course not! Do I look like the type of person who would let my all time enemy- the most irritating, agitating, annoying, selfish, disgusting, thick headed, snobby, arrogant, and horrifying enemy live with me? You're retarded."

"Ouch. That was like fifty burns in one sentence" (A/N: statement stolen from Hyde in That 70's Show. Only like the funniest show ever.)

"Yes, now get your fat ass out of this house before I call the police."

"What if…"

"No. Do I need to literally kick you out?" Hermione curled up her leg.

"NO! Okay. What if I said I'll work for you? Either at your office… or housekeeping work… anything. What if I promised you that with no pay- just as long as you let me stay here?"

Hermione stopped.

That WAS a possible idea…

It would be like having a maid…

NO! The only reason why she had ever put up that ad was because she needed the money- not a maid.

"I need you to pay me."

"That- that can me done, I guess. How much?"

"Err- it's in muggle money. This IS a muggle neighborhood you know. I think a galleon was worth five pounds. Let's say… pay me twenty galleons. Every month."

Draco's jaw dropped. "To work for you? To live in this little piece of… er… art?"

"If you don't like the offer, forget it."

"How about I DON'T work for you but I still pay you."

"Hm… nah… how about not. I mean… you ARE my worst enemy."

Draco sucked in all his breath. Quivering violently, he groaned. "Deal."

Hermione grinned. "Trust me, you are not making a mistake." She turned around and added, "dumbass" under her breath.

Little did he know that he was NOT making a mistake at all.

"Yo- Granger!"

"What."

"Do you happen to know if there are any jobs available?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Rise and shine, honey! Wake up!" Looking absolutely ridiculous in a little pink apron, Draco threw back the curtain drapes at the windows. A figure under the bed covers flinched, but did not arise.

"Wake up!"

"Go away"

"Wake up, Granger!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!"

"Wake up, mudblood!"

"Shut up, ferret!"

"Wake UP, brat!"

"Shut up, moron!"

"Bookworm!"

"Pig!"

"Bitch!"

"Asshole!"

"Know-it-all!"

"Arrogant bastard!"

Draco pulled back the covers, exposing a very cold Hermione. "VIRGIN!"

Hermione shot up in her bed. With all her strength, she pulled her hand across Draco's pale cheeks with a loud, painful, magnificent, blood-curling slap. Draco grabbed onto his face.

"That's what you get- you bisexual man-whore." Hermione cursed as she jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. There was a sound of running water, a rumble of the shower door, and a high-pitched and deafening howl.

That was one mad woman in the shower.

Quietly and quickly, Draco climbed out of Hermione's bed as he slammed his own bedroom door.

The NERVE of that girl!

Furiously blowing the hair that was tickling his forehead, he fell into his bed and stared at the ceiling.

He was not a bisexual man-whore. He simply cared about the way he looked- a dominant gene that was passed on in his family- and simply liked… women. In fact, he had not slept with as many girls in his years as so many thought. Her only flirted endlessly with them or just played with their hearts once in a while.

Only once in a while

But, what had bothered him more about that morning argument was that he had lost. He had lost very badly. She simply had much more hurtful invectives toward him AND she was able to get the last word in. If his grandfather had been there, he would have clicked his tongue and muttered, "The son of a bitch just lost to his bitch."

Draco shook his head. 'Good thoughts, man, good thoughts. Today is a big day.'

Indeed it was.

On cue, he heard a clatter and a clash in the kitchen. Draco sat up, stuck his hands in his pockets and nonchalantly strolled over to the commotion. Cursing nauseatingly, Hermione began to kick everything in her sight, enraged, and furious. Smirking, Draco leaned on the wooden cabinets. There was a pile of pots and pans sprawled all over the floor. Groaning, Hermione's head shot up to face Draco's face. Her eyes grew wide and angry as her face came closer and closer…

"You do know how late I am right?"

Draco gulped.

"Well, let me clear it up for you, mister. I am a very late person. And I cannot afford to be late and I cannot especially afford to be late because of YOU who is supposed to be my housekeeper. Now… CLEAN UP THAT FUCKING MESS, ASSHOLE! HOW COULD YOU BE GRINNING YOUR IDIOTIC DEFLATED HEAD OFF LIKE THAT! CAN'T YOU SEE WHEN SOMEONE IS IN A RUSH? I THOUGHT **YOU **WERE DOING THE HOUSEWORK AROUND HERE! DOESN'T THIS QUALIFY TO BE HOUSEWORK? HUH? HUH? HUH? OH! WHAT NOW, BITCH? YOU THOUGHT I CAN NEVER TAKE YOU DOWN BECAUSE I WAS A GIRL BUT NOO! I JUST PINNED YOU DOWN ON CEMENT STARK NAKED IN MIDDLE OF ANTARCTICA SO SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH AND GET TO WORK! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ALLOW ME TO BE LATE BECAUSE I CANNOT TOLERATE LATENESS IN MY OFFICE AND YOU ARE MAKING A COMPLETE HYPOCRITE OF ME." Kick. "**GET TO WORK!**"

Draco was no longer amused.

He was scared.

She was certainly a lunatic and MOST certainly not a morning person.

"Yes, yes ma'am."

"DAMN RIGHT IT'S YES MA'AM!"

"Okay."

"Don't just OKAY me. You need to treat me with respect in this house."

"I'm sorry. But, I think you are overreacting."

"W-what?"

"I mean, this mess is your fault. So, don't you think you should be cleaning it up? Or at least not blaming ME for it and yelling at ME for it. I mean, I CAN clean it up and I understand what we agreed on last night, but you just can't come pouncing on me like that and blaming all your screw-ups on me." Draco stopped. And for a very good reason.

Not making eye-contact, Draco swooped down and began to gather all the metal pots on the floor. He was sweating like a mad dog.

'You can leave any time now…" he thought.

"Hey." A calm un-Hermione-like voice rang in the hollow kitchen.

"Hey, I'm sorry."

Draco dropped all the heavy utensils in his hands.

"But don't ever think I'll say that to you again."

And with that, Hermione Granger stomped off to work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chicks dig it when guys wear white shirts. Just plain white shirts.

Draco flipped through the book and landed on the fashion guide to seducing a megaboss.

Be casual. Don't dress up or anything. Jeans and shirt. Leave the hair where it is. Girls have a tendency to go crazy for loose hair hanging in their eyes. It also gives the unclean but very fresh look and that's what bosses look for. Or, at least lady bosses.

Draco examined his white-blonde hair in the mirror. Frowning, he tossed away his gel and mussed up his hair- Harry Potter style.

If you want to wear a jacket, go for either a casual sweater kind or track jackets. Jean jackets or other kinds of jackets don't go too well with the whole apparel.

Draco had neither those kinds of jackets. Moaning, he threw the dumb book across the room and turned pink for the thought of having one of them for seducing when he was the obie-wan at it.

He took a deep breath in front of the fireplace. Finally, he threw Floo powder in side, stuck his hands in his jean pockets and cried out for the Ministry of Magic.

The halls were busy as usual. There were nonstop flutter of robes and endless chatter from those intellectual wizards and witches.

He knew the ministry of magic by the back of his hand. His father had always brought him there and took him to every part of the Magic ruling empire. He had big hopes for Draco and always brought him to the minister of magic.

Beginning to feel small qualms inside his stomach, he set out for the ministRESS of magic.

It had been all over the news that she was selected from all the candidates. It was a great surprise too. She was extremely young- the youngest yet and over 30 years younger than the previous. It had been only about 10 years or so after she had graduated from Hogwarts that she filled the spot for ministress of magic. She was very good at the job too, but caused many distractions and riots in the office from the males who worked in the office of hers.

And now, he was on his grave mission to seduce the living hell out of her. The most powerful witch, respectfully, in the wizarding world. He was going to seduce her.

This was the biggest and probably most difficult task too. But there was no other choice.

He had a good resume- graduated from Hogwarts with a satisfactory amount of NEWTS and OWLS. He had not gotten below an Excellent from any of his classes and he was prefect in his fifth year.

But that was not nearly enough to earn a job in the ministry from scratch.

So he was using his test known and best worked tactics. Seduction.

He was a pure genius and master at this art. HE was the one all guys looked at. HE was the one who stood on a pedestal in the home of a guy who had gotten his lovely girlfriend with the mighty help of Draco.

"Sir- may I help you?" Draco looked up. He was already at the office of the ministress. There he stood in front of yet another pretty secretary. He checked her fingers. Nice, delicate, fast working, and empty with no ring. Poor girl.

"Yes- I wanted to meet the ministress of magic, please?" Draco smiled charmingly.

"Oh! Sure! She's in there w- oh wait." She blushed. Just a simple smile had almost done it. "Do you have an appointment sir?"

"No. I was not certain I needed one"

"W-well she cannot see anyone without an appoi…" she cut off as Draco leaned forward on the desk.

"Did I ever tell you how excruciatingly beautiful your eyes are?" He grinned. Leaning back, he messed up his hair even more. "Well, then, I guess I better be off. This was my only chance to come meet her- and you of course m'lady- but I guess I was silly enough to not schedule an appointment." He nodded gently.

"Wait! Well, she's not very busy right now- just finishing up the last meeting with the head of the Mysteries department. Maybe I can sq-"

He was in the door.

The secretary bit her lips and glanced at the door.

She did nothing.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Hello." Draco said huskily to the two women talking.

"Mr. Malfoy! What a pleasure to have you here, yet I don't recall you scheduling an appointment…"

"Oh, Ministress Weasley, do I really need an appointment to just see you?" Draco cooed saccharinely to Penelope Weasley, Percy's ex-wife. Apparently, she kept her husband's last name. (A/N: apparently, Youngwriter forgot what her real last name was.) It was big news when the divorced and it nearly cost Penelope this job from all the media reports, but she was still the winning favorite for the common folks and had won by over 60 percent.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione awestricken.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, you flatter me. But, I'm in the middle of a meeting here with Miss Granger. Would you be a dear and wait outside for just a minute?"

"I could, but I need to see your face. Don't worry. I know Miss Granger quite well. We live together."

Penelope's eyes grew wide. "Hermione, I never knew…"

"Oh no, it's not like that, nothing like it at all. Draco here is just fooling with you and me. He's my housekeeper and a semi-roommate I guess." Hermione glared hatefully at Draco.

"O-oh? Why, Draco, I never thought you with all your background will resort to that kind of living environment, being a housekeeper and all…"

"No… it was all out of my good will and not for money. I'm not even getting paid for it! But I have a very serious matter to discuss with you ministress."

Penelope's eyes grew wider by a fraction of a centimeter. Just barely, but enough for Draco to understand that she knew it was 'serious' business.

"Un, okay… Do… I'll mail you all the information and…yeah. Thanks for coming Hermione- take care. And don't be too picky on the interviews- we don't want to scare your soon to be secretaries now do you?"

Smiling grimly, Hermione slammed the door gently as possible.

Hermione stuck her head in. "Sorry- heh, you know I have a strong arm."

"So, Draco. What is it?"

"Penelope- I need a job."

The ministress of magic stared at the man in front of her.

"Are you serious? That's why you split me and Hermione up?'

"Well…"

"That's so pathetic! I can kick you out for this! Why did Hannah ever even LET you in?"

"No! Wait- Penelope, hear me out. I already know what job I want. I want to work as Hermione's secretary! I know that spot is open and well, I've…"

"Stop."

"Huh?"

"Do you fancy her?"

"NO! HELL NO- NO- HOW-HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK THAT? ABSOLUTELY NOT…"

"Then, are you single?"

Draco turned to face Penelope. Was she…

Draco shook himself out. This was going to be easier than he thought.

He mussed up his hair. "Maybe."

"Oh, come on, Draco. Are you?" He swore he saw her flutter her eyelashes. This was too easy.

"I'm not if you're not."

"Then… who was the last girl?"

"Me?"

"Yeah."

He leaned in closer to her. "I've only ever thought about you." He whispered in her ear sexily. Her eyes came dimmer… and dimmer… this was WAY TOO easy. Maybe too easy for his taste…

"Yeah right. You are SO PATHETIC."

"Huh?'

"So you came here to seduce me to get this job, correct?" She stood up.

"No, I…"

"Don't lie to the ministress of magic, Draco. You should know that by now." She walked in front of her desk to face him directly. She was a few good centimeters shorter, but at that moment, she looked a meter taller.

"I'm-"

"Get out of my office. If you want a job, you go get a job and you go directly to Hermione." Boy, was Draco getting kicked out a lot these days.

"It's not like that- Penny…"

"Then what is it like? Huh? What are you trying to tell me?"

Draco walked into her. He lightly placed his lips on hers. There was no kiss. There was no tongue, no passionate exchange of saliva. It was a delicate meeting… as to put it, versus the carnal hunger for more and more that he was normally used to.

Draco Malfoy knew what kind of kiss to use in what kind of situation and this type was certainly the jackpot.

And then, the three most sinful and most beautiful words escaped from Draco's mouth, casually, easily, and with countless experience.

"I love you."

And then, there was the immensely sizzling, emotional kiss that followed. Draco leaned Penelope down and then laid her on her flat surface of her desk. He crawled on the desk and they lay there completely succumbed to what they were doing and it was as if all the lust that they had ever stored in themselves and all of their hearts poured out on the ministress' desk. Penelope, or Penny, in moments, couldn't even remember who this man was on top of her.

But she didn't care.

"Take me away prince."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was Tuesday night

The grand clock of the ministress of magic struck six.

The room was dark.

The room was also a great mess.

The desk had papers, files, and office material all staked on the corners of the desk as the middle area was completely clear. A man's white shirt lay on the floor right beside it. A woman's beige collar blouse sat right next to it. There was a trail of clothing that led up to a black leather sofa. Skirt, jeans, underwear, etc.

There was one person, a man, sitting on the couch. A woman sat on the other side of the room, on the window sill.

"Well, I have to admit."

"That was remarkable."

"Are you kidding? That was the best lay I've had in years!" the ministress told the man.

"Me too."

"But, Draco, you don't really love me, do you?"

"I don't know. It might have been an "In-the-moment" thing or it could have been there since the beginning…"

"Draco, I won't get mad. I don't love you."

"Me neither. But I still trust you as a very…"

"Very…"

"Very good friend."

"Yeah…"

"Well, tonight has been really relieving. I haven't had sex in months… even an year, maybe!" Draco sighed and fell back in to the leather cushion.

"Yeah. But please, please don't tell anyone about this. I can't afford a rumor starting in the media and newspaper about all this."

"I would really like to respect that, Penny, but you have got to understand that I really need something in return."

"I know."

"So…"

"So, I'll let you see Hermione. I'll get her into giving you that damn job. But…"

"Yes? Yes?"

"You still have to take the interview."

"WHAT? BUT SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!"

"I'll come with you…"

"Only if you promise to take all the shots she attempts my way, sure. But she WILL kill me. She won't even allow it. She won't even speak of it. She HATES me."

"And you like her?"

"YES! NO! NONONONONONONO! I MEANT THAT I DON'T! ARGHH PENNY, I HATE IT WHEN YOU TRICK ME INTO SAYING CRAP LIKE THAT!"

"Well, I'm sorry… but you said it."

"Well, you tricked me into doing it!"

"Well, that's your fault, isn't it? How that yes was just ready to roll off your tongue when I asked you that…"

Draco scrunched up his face and crossed his arms around his bare chest.

"You're such a poo-poo head."

"I'm sorry about that. You're a pee-pee head."

"Nerd."

"Idiot."

"Know it all"

"Pathetic goofball"

"Sarcastic bitch!"

"Poor useless hobo"

"Slutty whore!"

"Ferret!"

That hit a nerve in Draco. "Mudblood!"

Penelope looked at him quite puzzled. "Er, Draco? I'm a half blood. You know that…"

"Huh? I mean… Er, egotistical brat."

Penelope grinned evilly. "Just can't stop thinking about Hermione, can you."

"I wasn't! I- I- we played the similar kind of game this morning, happy?"

"No."

"I SWEAR! ASK HER YOURSELF! SHE'S ALWAYS CALLED ME FERRET AND IT-"

"Whatever. Believe me, dear, I took psychology and I learned that if you do these one word insulting game, if you get them riled up enough, they will refer to the other person as the person in their minds. I have the book; I can show you if you want…"

"NO. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. LET'S GO."

Draco stomped off the extravagance of the office and marched up to the door.

"Draco-"

Draco opened the door for a second before he shut it again immediately. "OH HOLY CRAP!"

"As I was saying, Draco, you're stark naked."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"…and I graduated from Hogwarts as prefect and star Quidditch player and NEWTS in Charms, Potions, Herbology, and OWLS in Arithmacy and Transfiguration. And then, I went to America, because my mom is from there you know, and I got a job as a secretary for Mr. Rodney, business managing director of PERM, and I worked as an intern for the Donald Trump himself." The blond girl in front of Hermione continued reciting her endless resume. Seriously, she had started from winning a beauty pageant when she was three years old.

Hermione dozed off. She had not found one suitable secretary yet out of the thirty young women and two young and quite attractive men she had met that day.

This girl had a decent background and the experience to cut it, but for some 'strange' reason, she was a bore. A total bore. She had talked nonstop for about an hour now and somehow, Hermione had a feeling she had not even answered one question directly.

"Er, Miss Rendell? I asked you the main reason why you wanted this job. Not about your outstanding and brilliant past. The past is over. Get over yourself. This is now. WHY do you want this job now?" Hermione said coldly.

Sarah Rendell looked as if she was going to cry.

And then, Hermione got the clue.

She was a Slytherin.

She was a spoiled BRAT. Just like Malfoy. She was a female clone of him.

"Okay, never mind. Thank you, Miss Rendell for the interview and your rather extensive past description. Have a good day."

Shaking, the girl left the room. She swung opened the door and sulked out as a fellow blonde man walked toward her.

"Hey, Sarah! What a surprise to see YOU here!"

Sarah looked up with red eyes.

"You're applying for this job?

"Well, that's why I'm here."

Sarah looked him up and down. She started bawling as she ran away.

Shrugging, Draco knocked on the heavy door.

"Another one? Gosh, do you people really want this job?" A voice cried from the room.

"Not with that kind of attitude, Miss Granger." He shot back through the wood.

There was a shuffle of footsteps. Suddenly, the door flew open at his face and in front of him stood Hermione.

He could have laughed. Her shirt was wrinkled, hair fuzzed up all over the place, bags under her eyes and her shoes were nowhere on her.

"What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Why, I'm here for my interview, ma'am."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Whew! This chapter is over! I mean, is it really over or is it really over? I'm so glad I finished this chapter for y'all before spring break was over.

So please please please please review and tell me what I'm doing right, wrong, what to fix, etc, you know the drill.

I really hope you enjoyed it. I know it probably wouldn't have been the best chapter so far, but it is a chapter and just live with my mercurial writing please.

Should I make this an 'R' rated story? Or- should I say 'M' rated story?

It's accumulating on the cussing and sexual tensions and etc.

I don't know. YOU can tell me when you review! Haha.

Toodles

YoungwritO 56


	5. my wasgoingtobesisterinlaw

Arr. I hate this story. I want to end it soon because I would feel so guilty to just abandon it. I'm wondering how I should end it. When I started the story, I never had any plot arranged.

Blah. This chapter was badly written and it's corny a bit and not as funny but that's what happens when you lose interest in something.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So… what makes you qualified to complete your job everyday efficiently?" Hermione asked the blond man in front of him.

"Well, I'm a very determined worker, I enjoy working with smart beautiful women, and I'm a bit… well, I AM a perfectionist."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"What makes you better than all the other applicants?"

"What makes me better? Why I don't know."

"Uh huh." Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, how am I supposed to know if I haven't even met them?"

"Fine. Let me reword that one. What makes you think you can get the job?"

"Well, I don't know how extensive the resume of some other applicants were, but let me assure you that I am one hell of a worker and you won't regret hiring me. Being a Quidditch player, I am very used to being on my feet and ready to accomplish any task foisted upon me."

"Who says they will be inflicted on you?"

"You did. Just five minutes ago. Something along the lines of: 'What will you do if I give you a very difficult task that you do not want?'"

"Hey, don't get all 'know-it-all' on me. I'm the boss around here and you should remember that."

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted.

"Tell me about your past experiences."

"Well, I graduated from Hogwarts, being Quidditch captain of the Slytherin team, the president of the Inquisitive Squad (A/N: whatever it was in the fifth book) and one of the top students."

"No you weren't. Harry, Ernie and I were on the top."

"I mentioned I was only one of the top. I mean, who can ever beat you?"

"Go on."

"I did, at first, work for the Daily Prophet for a year or two, and then I got asked to teach another two at Hogwarts. I was asked to transfer to another wizarding school, but refused the offer to stay home with my ailing mother. I went back to the ministry where I worked under the Minister of Magic for two years until the ministress came and I was her assistant for about a year."

"Penelope? You worked for her?"

"Yes. She got me into this interview in the first place."

"I thought you stayed at home since you graduated being the arrogant rich slob you were."

"Well, I'm very afraid you are wrong. My mother got very sick and so I had to leave my position…"

"Really? You didn't get fired?"

"No, ma'am."

"So if I go to the records and check, it would say 'Draco Malfoy: resigned?'"

"Yes."

"Well, thank you for the interview, Mr. Malfoy. Have a good day." Hermione dropped the pen and pushed Draco out of her office.

"Hermione?" Penelope stood up from outside.

"Hey, Penny." Draco grinned.

"Hey. Why don't you go on down to my office now, and I'll catch up to you."

"Okay." With a snap, Draco was gone.

"How'd it go?"

"Perfect. Wonderful. The best one yet, Pen."

"Hermione…"

"Fine. It went all right. I didn't get to kill him like a planned, but otherwise, it went smoothly."

"Is he hired?"

"Of course not!"

"Hermione! I've seen the other people who you interviewed and I took a look at their resumes. They're not nearly as qualified as Draco."

"But I say no!"

"Hermione, I'm your boss and I demand you to hire him."

Hermione glared at Penelope.

"Aw… damn. And why did you ever become the new ministress."

"Because I'm qualified and I slept with the previous minister."

"Huh?"

"Just a joke, Herm… just a silly joke."

"Right. Well, I'll think about Draco, Penny. But I can assure you I'll probably say no."

"No, Hermione! You need to make a decision tonight, because then, Draco will tell about… how I s-killed his bunny?"

"Wait… you're hiding something."

"No…"

"I know when you're hiding something."

"NNNNo."

"Your eyes get all big and scared and your pinkie starts shaking. And, hon, your pinkie's like spazzing right now."

"No…"

"What did you do this time, Penelope?"

"NOTHING…"

"Uh huh."

"Really!"

"Fine. I trust you."

"Arr! You make it so hard! He slept with… my sister, and then, I fired him, but I found out that my sister really liked him. So I promised him that when he needed, I'll find him a job. Happy?"

"So he WAS fired!"

"Not really. He resigned before I had a chance to fire him."

"Well, still. It doesn't matter. He's been a complete slimeball to me for 7 years of my life and he doesn't deserve to work- ohhhhhhhhh."

"_YES! _See? I do care about you! If he works for you, you can boss him around wherever you want him to go."

"PENELOPE! YOU'RE A GENIUS! Tell Malfoy… tell Malfoy to come to work by Monday six am sharp."

"Okay."

"I want coffee with a cup of sugar and five drops of milk. You might also want to tell him that."

"Right."

"I know you slept with him Penelope, but I'll keep it a secret. Look, I've got to go."

"Yeah… WAIT! NO! I did NOT sleep with him."

"You might as well stop lying now, Pen." Hermione flung on her jacket. "Gotta run- see you somewhere over the rainbow."

"HERMIONE! I DID NOT SLEEP WITH DRACO MALFOY!"

Hermione grinned, waved, and apparated away as twenty workers in the department of mysteries all stared at the most powerful witch in the wizarding world yelling and screaming that she did not sleep with the son of the most wanted suspect in the ministry.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"How many, miss?"

"Two. Just two."

"Follow me, ma'am."

Light classical sounds of the violin drowned out the soft moaning of fancy and rich women and men who giggled and clinked their wine glasses together.

Hermione Granger had just walked into the most expensive muggle restaurant ever.

From previous experiences, Hermione had learned her lesson about these types of restaurants.

For instance, even though the waiters and waitresses all smile and ask you politely what you would like to eat, if you're not wearing a dress, they go behind you and talk about you to other waiters.

Hermione knew that because she dated a waiter. End of story.

Also, if you ask for only ice water, they put some cocktail in it and put it in the check. If you're not wearing a dress.

And then, if you come alone with no date, they take the other chair. All the time.

Now, Hermione's waiter led her over to a small table of two. He handed her the menu. He grabbed the empty chair in front of her.

"Um, I'm expecting someone. Don't take it please." Hermione said.

The waiter smiled. "Of course, ma'am. Of course."

"And, I'm awful sorry I'm not wearing some kind of fancy dress. I'm here to see an ex-boyfriend of mine and I don't want him to get the wrong idea." She winked.

"Right… right." The waiter, named Ralph, backed away cautiously.

Hermione checked her clock.

She hated late men.

"Would you like to order?"

"Not now… would you?"

The waitress gave her a puzzled look.

"I'm kidding. Gosh, take a joke. What are you? Some kind of thick cardboard that's all stuck up in the stuffy world? What we hate, we make, dear. Now go off and tell all your other waiter buddies what a complete biotch I am." Hermione snapped. She really hated late men.

The poor waiter ran away

"Hey! 'Mione! Sorry I'm late."

"Yeah. And they wonder why I ever walked out on you on our wedding day. Or did you even get there in time to see me run off?"

"Oh, come on. Did you order?"

"No. I was waiting for you."

"Oh, 'Mione… you didn't have to do that."

"Oh, Ronnie… I did. Waiter? Over here. I'll like the most expensive one person meal today. My ex-fiance is paying. Right, Ron? You're rich now, remember?"

"R-right. I'll have the crème brulee."

"Ronnie… that's dessert!" Hermione cried out.

"I'll share with you, 'Mione!"

"Oh no you won't!"

"I'll have the crab."

"Any drinks?"

"I'm just fine with ice water, thank you. And hold the cocktail. When I say ice water, I mean only water and ice."

"Yes, ma'am." Ralph the waiter turned crimson.

"And call me miss now? I'm not married, thank you God."

"Yes, miss."

"Well? Are you waiting for me to order another dessert? Go run away now!"

Ralph did.

"Hermione! What's wrong with you?" Ron whispered fiercely.

"Oh, I don't know, Ron. Let's just say I hate, HATE, _HATE, HATE, **HATE **_late men. Did I ever tell you that?"

"Nnno."

"Maybe that's why you're still single."

"Hermione… are you PMSing?"

"I don't know, Ron! Are you?"

"Never mind."

"So, what did you call me over to this place for?"

"Er… I wanted to talk! Yeah!"

"About?"

"Er… life?"

"Oh, puh-lease. Couldn't you have don't that at the gay bar?"

Ron's jaw hung open.

"What the hell is you problem Hermione?"

"MY problem is that you call me over to this fancy shmancy restaurant, turn up LATE, and then tell me you had no good reason for me to leave my work to see your face!"

"Er…"

Hermione blew out the irritating bangs that tickled her eyebrows.

"I'm fine." Hermione said weakly. "I had a rough day."

"I see."

"But on the good side, Draco Malfoy will be working for me from now on."

"Isn't that a bad thing?"

"Nope! Because I get to boss him wherever I want him to go."

"Oh, brother. Hermione, you are GOOD."

"Thank you, thank you."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're welcome. She wasn't going to hire you but I knocked some sense into her."

"Thank you SO much Penelope."

"Why don't you buy me dinner, then?"

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Are you asking me out?"

Penelope fluttered her eyelashes. "Maybe I am."

Draco grinned mischievously. He growled. Placing a hand on Penelope's hip, he pushed his forehead onto hers and nipped away at her nose.

There was a small, decisive pain in the lower… area.

"Aw! Penny! What the hell was that for?"

"Are you going to buy me dinner or not?"

blah blah bloop

"This place? This place is like…" Draco awed at the twinkling chandeliers and live violinists.

"Real expensive? Yes."

"I've never been in a muggle restaurant like this before! Penny! I don't have the money for this kind of…"

"Can I help you?" A weary waiter greeted them with a weak smile.

"Yes, we're a party of two. Can we go…"

"Follow me, miss."

"Thank you, Ralph." Penelope smiled sweetly at the waiter. She sure knew how to get on the waiter's good side.

"Penny! I don't have enough money to buy you dinner in a place like this! I barely even have enough wizard money!"

"Draco…"

"I know you helped me a lot and stuff, but can't we just go to _three broomsticks _and I'll buy you some firewhiskey and such! But you even KNOW I'm practically broke right now!"

"Er… Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Your… your boss is here."

"Boss? H…"

"Hermione."

Draco clamped him hand on her arm.

"Let's get out of here."

"Er… it's too late. I think her date saw us."

"Date?" Draco questioned, his pale cheeks turning warm.

"Her ex-fiance? Ron? Why's she here with him?" Penelope whispered. Ron took his gaze off his was-going-to-be-sister-in-law and the Malfoy.

"Er… Hermione?"

"What?" Hermione snapped.

"Let's get out of here."

"Huh?"

"Er… your… boss is here." Ron said nervously.

"I'm my own… Penelope?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me this, Ron. Is she with Malfoy?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I say we stay."

"What?"

"PENNY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? HERE! COME JOIN US! YOU TOO MALFOY!"

The ministress of magic put her head in her hands.

Sigh.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Boring chapter… but the dinner comes up next chapter! It might actually be okay!

Toodles- Youngwriter 56


	6. forget dinner THE BITE AND TOUR

Long time, no see, eh? I'm sorry for the longgggg update. I've suffered from writer's block.

At least now, there is no more moody Hermione. Hermione is very cheerful in this chapter! For real!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As much as Hermione hoped, no humiliation or revengeful embarrassment that she had planned for Draco Malfoy took place that night.

First of all, her boss was there.

Second of all, her boss was there.

Yet, Draco didn't seem to realize his luck that he happened to be a date to the ministress of magic, giving him superhero powers. Draco and Ron seemed to have this everlasting feud between them, mostly thanks to Ron.

The details:

Aw, shit. This isn't the time for details.

You keep waiting for that, aye?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"'Morning, Miss Granger."

"Good morning to you, Stan." Hermione replied in a rush. She continued her pace to her office as Stan tried desperately to keep up. He was still a teenager, 19 or so, and just fresh off the boat of Hogwarts. He'd been trying to tag any high official around, looking around for some extra cash that can be earned with some of his useless… er… information.

"So, Miss Grager- still trying to crack the Dublois case?"

No comment.

"Because I got some really neat meat right here with me. I was walking to the park one day, see, and I overhear..."

"Excuse me Stan, but your help is not needed with me. I have nothing to do with the Dublois case. Try Mungo's. They might want to help you a bit there. Good day."

OOhh. Rejection.

He should be used to it by now; practically everyone in the whole ministry treated him with irritation and coldness. Nobody wanted a trash can trailing them 24/7

Stan trailed off, gaping as she swiftly and nonchalantly swept by and made her way to her floor.

"Morning, Miss Granger."

"Good morning." Smile.

"Good morning to you, Miss Granger."

"As to you. Take care!" Smile.

"Hello. How are you this morning?"

"Fine. Thank you." Smile.

"Beautiful day, isn't it, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, absolutely splendid. I love every nicety of it. I'm a sun girl" Hermione grinned as she reached her destination.

"Hey Herms. The sun's shining, and they say the lowest it's going to get is 80's." Hermione stared blankly at the man leaning coolly on the door of her office.

"I got here even before the janitor did. Wasn't so sure if you liked coffee black or mild so I added some milk and sugar for you because, I mean, who can't deal some sweetness around here?"

Draco Malfoy handed her a steaming cup of light brown coffee.

Hermione tood the cup, smiled once more and with no comment pushed the door open and watched it gradually and by law of physics, swing back into Draco's face.

What a beautiful day.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Hey, Herms. You've got a little visitor for you. Care to know the sex?" Draco's voice blared through her phone intercom.

"No, not really. Bring him in. And Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yeah, hons?"

"I would like a word with you before lunch about your duties and I would like to show you around if that's all right with you."

"Me? Why, I'd love that but I've got some plans with some chicks, er... ladies I met here. They said they'll take care of me."

"I'm a busy woman, Mr. Malfoy. It's today or never."

"I'm on it. I'm good with rejecting."

"Good. Here's your first assignment." Hermione glanced at the man entering the door and held up a finger to indicate to him to wait.

"There's a boy, about 19 or something and he's the biggest brat you'll ever meet. You said you're good at rejecting so I want you to locate him, and tell him to bug off and never come back to the ministry again. You'll do fine. Ta-ta." Hermione turned the intercom off and turned to face her visitor.

She sighed.

"Ron. How wonderful to see you."

"Hey, 'Mione. And I'm going to pretend you weren't being sarcastic."

"You do that."

"Well, I had a little proposition for you."

"Spill."

"Well, I-"

"Yes..."

"See..."

"Ronald, do you have speaking problems?"

"Uh... Uh... no. I just get nervous when I'm around you, I guess."

"Oh, Ron. You flatter me." Hermoine cried with exaggerated enthusiasm when her intercom beeped and Draco's voice overflowed her office once more.

"Hey, Herms. It's your favorite man again. Listen. I've found the little twerp and started knocking him out when I figured I'll like my gal to see this so currently, I'm dragging him by ear to your lovely humble abode, I mean office, to show you some of my magic. So get ready and get you lips away from that Weasley because I'm probably about to burst in on you in 10 seconds. 10...9...8..."

"Uh, Hermione? What the hell is..."

"6...5...4...3...2...1...

"OW! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? OH MY FUCK------ YOU LITTLE! ARRRRR" either Draco Malfoy stopped screaming or the intercom died on her.

There was a confuzzling pause.

"Houston, we have a problem." A calm sweaty voice breathed into the microphone.

Hermione laughed genuinely for the first time in days.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Um… Hermione?" Ron cried weakly by the door.

"Yeah?"

"We'll talk next time. I… er… guess you're sort of busy right now."

"All right. Take care."

"Hum. Bye, I guess."

Ron left abruptly with a gigantic frown on his face as he watched Hermione fix up Draco on her leather couch. Hermione muttered some incantations as the red marks on Draco's arm began to grow dimmer.

"So clear up for me, what happened exactly?"

"Right- so I was dragging him over and we were right outside your door when KABAAM! THAT LITTLE SON OF A BITCH BITES ME! Bites me full on my _playing arm_. Arrrr. I will get him one day and BITE him back. Hah. How'd he like that?"

Hermione chuckled. "Done. Your arm will be fine now."

"Thanks a lot, boss. I'm starved. Care to feed me?"

Hermione walked briskly to a pair of cabinets by her desk. She flung them open and after some rustling, she through him a piece of dry bread.

"Sorry, dear. You're on your own." Hermione snickered as she called up food service. A man popped into her room with a tray of steamy pasta.

"Sir, can I have one too?" Draco questioned the waiter who had apparated with the food.

"No." And he left.

Hermione laughed as she happily chewed her ravioli.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"…No using the intercom for non work related subjects, no ordering the food services in my place, no leaving the office without my knowledge, no flirting with every woman alive in the building, no useless visits into my room, no letting people in without intercoming me, no crazy acts of attention during work time, and finally… just cooperate with me." Hermione wrapped up, the new boss and secretary pair making their way back to their section of the floor.

"Gosh, woman. Am I allowed to breath here?"

"Haha. Very funny."

"What am I supposed to eat?"

"Uhhhhhh… food?"

"But how? Am I _allowed to_?"

"Of course! Just take a look around. People either bring food themselves or go out to get them."

"But I'm not allowed to move a centimeter from my desk."

"Not on a lunch break, no. Don't worry, oh dear neophyte. You'll figure it out."

o.O was Draco's only response.

"Never mind." Hermione sighed. "It's 2. I'm leaving early today, around 5, so you can leave then too, I guess. For now, could you contact Harry and tell him to come meet me tonight at about six in our regular restaurant? He'll know what you're talking about."

"WHAT? Me? Talk to Potter? Communicate with him? Share bacterial germs with him?"

"Yes. Is that too hard for you to handle?"

"Uhhh… Hmmm… YES."

"You can't just make a single call, or floo?"

"Not to Potter, no."

"I think…"

"You think…"

"I think you two needs to settle your differences. Enough said. If Harry doesn't show up tonight, I will be one disappointed lady. And Mr. Malfoy. You've seen me disappointed, yes?" Hermione reminded and pushed into her room.

"Aw, shit."

"I HEARD THAT!" Hermione cried from her office.

"Shit" Draco muttered.

"I HEARD THAT!"

"What, are these doors totally sound proof or something?" He muttered softlier.

"I HEARD THAT!"

"I heard that" Draco mimicked.

There was no cry of "I heard that" and instead, an ear popping scream.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ba ba baaaam! Short chapter I know. Only about 1300 words.

Maybe I'll have Hermione die and end the story!

YESSSSS.

Sorry for the very unfunny chapter guys. This story is really going down-hill.

Greatest apologies to all of you who actually had enjoyed it previously. I'm awfully sorry. I've gotten this for just for you guys and that's enough. I'll try to get some more inspiration. Care to help? Wink wink.

Ta-ta!


	7. Nott and FIREWHISKEY

Hey guys! Long time no see. I've been updating almost every other day now. I'm a good girl.

OOOOOOOOOO

When Hermione had entered her office, she was surprised, but not shocked to see a man sitting on the other side of her desk. He turned around to face her. It was a somewhat stranger.

"Hello. Did you have an appointment with me?" Hermione asked the man.

"Aw shit." She heard. However the man's mouth didn't move.

It only could have been Malfoy.

"Excuse me. I HEARD THAT!"

She tuned back to her guest. "Well…"

"Shit."

"So sorry. I HEARD THAT!"

The man stood up.

"What, are these doors totally sound proof or something?"

The man jerked threateningly towards her.

Shaking, she yelled "I HEARD THAT!"

And then, the man attacked.

And Hermione screamed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco dropped from his chair. He tried to remember what Granger had told him to do in case of an emergency.

"_Emergencies are rare, and there hasn't been a major one in many years, since our fifth year. If there is one just in my office, I need you to calm down and not just burst in. Open the door a crack and just peek to see what has happened. If it's bad, command everyone on the floor to call up the aurors and bring Ned, James, or Nora to come in to make a distraction. Only you can here faintly what is going on inside. Anyway, don't worry about Ned, James, or Nora. They're professionals. They were hired to do that since that break in years ago. If it's an emergency outside my office…"_

Draco scrambled on the floor to the tall wooden door. He opened it about 2 centimeters,

What he saw amazed him. He forgot everything Hermione had told him earlier and with a wand at his hand, he slowly burst in.

Slowly burst in.

As if. It was more like exploded in.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Now, now, pretty girl. I'm not going to hurt you." The man drawled, much reminded of Malfoy, into her ear.

"Too late, you already are." She said, trying to remove the fat hairy arm from around her neck.

"Ah, I'm so sorry. But at least I'm not going to kill you like you did to my master. You and your little Potter head."

"That's way past, sir. It's been a while now."

His arm came tighter.

And then, that's when Draco Malfoy came slowly bursting in.

As if.

Let's try that again.

And then, that's when Draco Malfoy came exploding in.

His wand was at a perfect 90 degree angle from his body and he had a serious professional look on his face.

Hadn't I told him not to come exploding in like that?

He seemed to have a good reason.

"Nott. Release her."

"Ah. If it isn't Mr. Malfoy. Your father was an honorable man."

"Release her."

"I will not."

"Nott, the Dark Lord has died years and years ago. Just get over yourself."

"NO! I WILL FINISH THE TASK OF MY LORD AND KILL OFF ALL MUDBLOODS IN THE WORLD!"

"Nott, rubbish. You know you'll never succeed. The ministry is at its peak. I'm trying to help you out here.

"That's a LIE!" Nott tightened the grip around Hermione. She gagged.

"Release her now. It is my order."

"Never. NEVER! NOT UNTIL SHE DIES LIKE SHE DESERVES! THE FILTHY MUDBLOOD KILLED MY LORD!"

"That was Potty head. Go kill him."

This time, a woman voice cut through him. "NO! DON'T KILL HARRY!" Hermione screamed

"Nott, release the girl. She did nothing to kill the Dark Lord."

As Nott's grip tightened, being the rebel he was, Hermione grabbed his arm and with all her strength, bent over and flipped him and Nott crashed hard into the floor.

"Whoa, Granger. That was some neat piece of martial arts there."

PUNCH. Draco fell into the black leather sofa. Nott had come up mysteriously and quickly and was now on top of Draco beating him up.

There was chaos. Nott had an advantage for he was on top, but Draco was stronger and a better fighter. Hermione had spent the last many punches and kicks trying to separate the two.

Until she realized she was a witch.

She scrambled behind Draco, pointed at Nott and screamed, "EXPELLIARMUS!"

Nott flew off of Draco, and knocked unconscious to the wall. The door banged open.

Dawlish, Tonks, and a few other aurors rushed in.

"Wotcher. It's Nott!" Tonks exclaimed as the group followed her to the bloody man.

Ned flew in and explained. "Draco had left the door slightly open and we could hear the commotion. We called up the aurors but since Draco was already in there, we couldn't budge."

"Yes, I understand. Great work guys." Hermione sighed.

Draco beamed.

"I've noticed that you totally disregarded anything that I told you, Malfoy." Hermione said pointily.

Draco lost the smile.

"But since you seemed to know the attacker personally, I guess you did a fine job today." She added.

Draco beamed once more.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hermione pointed her wand at the last wound on Draco's cheekbone. In a matter of seconds, it stopped bleeding and Hermione slapped a band aid on the scar. Draco winced.

"Did you contact Harry, yet?" Hermione asked in a business like tone.

"No."

"Could you do that please? The dinner is in just an hour."

"No! I don't want to talk to him."

"Oh, so you can talk to me but not to him?"

"Yeah. I mean, 'Mione. We LIVE together." Draco winked.

"If you say that one more time…"

"Okay, okay. I get it."

"Great. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For helping me out today."

"Oh. No, it was really nothing. Nott's a git."

"Yeah, I noticed." Hermione sighed again.

"Yeah."

Cue the uncomfortable silence.

"so…" Hermione put her hands on her knees and pushed herself up. She looked like a wreck.

"So…"

"I really don't feel like getting back to work." Hermione huffed.

"Am I dreaming? Is Hermione Granger actually not wanting to work?"

"No really! I've done enough today. She pushed herself out and Draco followed her.

Hermione grabbed Draco's phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Harry! Hi! Listen. Dinner's at 5. Remember?" pause. "Okay. Great. See you then. Don't be late!" pause. Cue the laugh. "Okay, okay. Bye."

"See that wasn't that hard."

"Yeah, because you're his best friend." Draco said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Seriously." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Hey, why don't you join me for dinner today with Harry?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please please? He's bringing Ginny and they're always all mushy and all and I have important things to talk to them about. If you come, you'll distract them from… each other."

"You mean the hot muggle lover?"

"…yes."

"Uh… no. It's all right."

"Please?" Hermione pouted.

Who can't accept a pout? A good ol' pout.

"…fine."

"Yay!" Hermione exclaimed. "Let's go home."

Draco smirked.

"That sounded… funny."

"Weirdo."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Ew, Malfoy, that suit is so ugly on you. Don't wear it again."

"What? Why? It's supposed to bring out the color of my eyes." Malfoy said, looking down at his gray suit.

"It's so old fashioned. Just change to something else please?"

"You haven't even changed yet!"

Hermione giggled. "I know."

"You are such a hypocrite."

"I am not. Go change."

Groaning, Draco walked back into his room.

HIS room.

After about a week of chaos, they have finally settled down and Hermione had finally just taken in the fact that Draco was going to be her roommate.

It was 4:50.

"WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Draco yelled into Hermione's room, pounding and pounding on the door."

"HOLD! I'M CHANGING!"

"Uh… do you need help?"

"NO! EW! NO! DID YOU CHANGE YOUR SUIT? IT WAS REALLY UGLY. UGGGGGLY."

"No."

"Do it now! NOW! NOW! NOW!"

"FINE!" Draco stuck out his tongue at the door and stomped into his room.

Draco smiled as he picked out his very favorite shirt: a bright lime green shirt with hot pink collars, buttons, and cuffs. She better like that one. He threw it on as he buckled on his white jeans. He didn't have a jacket to match. He could just be cold, right?

When he left the room, he was shocked to see Hermione already all ready to leave.

THEY WERE MATCHING!

Her halter dress was a flowy white material with lime green and hot pink seams.

WHITE…

HOT PINK…

LIME GREEN…

"Did you know I was wearing this?" Hermione asked after a long time of silence.

"No. Did you know I was wearing this?"

"No."

"What a coincidink."

"Tell me about it. Let's go."

"Which restaurant are you meeting that Potter boy?"

"He's not a boy anymore, you know. And we're going to Fantasia's."

"I hope he's paying." Draco muttered.

"He is."

"How do you know?"

"Because… you'll see." Hermione grabbed his arm and apparated there.

"Harry! Gin! Goodness, I haven't seen you two in ages. I think… you guys know Draco Malfoy?"

Harry and Ginny looked up from their cuddling in the corner of the restaurant.

"You brought Draco Malfoy as you date?"

"Not as my date! No! Ew, Harry. You know I won't do that. He's my roommate slash secretary."

Ginny snorted. "Secretary?"

"Hey, I'm a hotter secretary than you, Weasley." Draco drawled. Hermione hit his harm.

"I don't think so, Mr. Malfoy." She said, giggling softly. They sat down.

"Anyway. You said you needed to see us?" Harry said, ignoring Draco's comment.

"Yeah. I haven't paid you back yet and I've got the money now." Hermione handed him a velvet bag that had appeared from her purse. "Here."

Harry and Ginny opened it. A pile of coins and bills fell out.

"Oh! Hermione! Are you sure it isn't too much?"

"No. It's just the right amount."

"Well, I… Thanks, but I expected it to come in bits."

"Haha. You know I'm not that kind of person, Harry. And besides, now that you got your money, you can pay for the dinner." Hermione said, grinning widely.

"Sure thing."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After dinner, the foursome trudged over to Three Broomsticks for some good old fashioned firewhiskey.

Draco had begged to just let him go home, but Hermione dragged him along as well.

"Come on. It won't hurt."

Madame Rosmerta greeted them cheerily.

"Well if isn't the Hogwarts crew. What can I get you today?"

"We'll like 4 firewhiskeys to start with." Harry said loudly.

"3. I quit, remember?" Hermione said even louder.

"Aw… come on. Where's that party girl in you?" Ginny nudged.

"No really. I've had enough."

"No really. Come on. You can't get drunk with these things if you only have one. It takes over 3. Come on. Come on. Please? For me?" Harry batted his eyelashes.

Hermione burst out laughing. "Okay. Fine."

Madame Rosmerta appeared a second later with 4 bottles of firewhiskey. The group quietly chugged their bottle.

Slam. Ginny's hit the table first.

Slam. Draco's hit the table second.

Slam. Then, Harry's.

Slam. Then, Hermione.

OO 2 hours later OO

The whole store had closed. Madame Rosmerta stayed in the backroom, just waiting for the foursome to call out for more.

"You. You wereeeeeee just the MOST jeeerkiest jERK in the whoworld." Harry said, his eyes half closed and pointing at Malfoy, who laughed.

"You weeeeere inflaaaaaaaaaated too."

They laughed.

"I can't hic believe that youu twoooo hic are rooooooooommates." Ginny said.

"Me neeeeither. Goshh, I put up suchhh big assed fights. Youuuu don't KNOW how muuuuuch I swoooore. Buut now, we coooooooool. Cool like fireeeeeeeee." Hermione laughed.

"Yeahhhhh. Mannn. I remembeeeer I reeeeeealy reeeeeeeealy hated this muggggle. But sheee got so CUTE!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing Hermione. "My little cuuuuuuute muggggle. Suchh cuuuuute roooooommate." He said, pecking her cheek. The group laughed.

"I'm nooooot neeeeearly as cuuuute as you, my deeeeear rooooooommate." Hermione said, kissing his cheek back.

"You're nott only cuuute but also preeeeeeeeety like the wiiiiiiiind." Draco exclaimed.

And in a matter of seconds, Hermione and Draco were making out in their seats.

"You're soo hot- you cann- buuuurn-mee- ouuuuuuut." Hermione breathed between their gaps.

And they sat there, exchanging their firewhiskey saliva as Harry and Ginny followed their example as well.

Until.

BAM!

Harry and Ginny jumped up in shock and looked over to see what had made the BAM.

Madame Rosmerta came out of her room.

"That's it! You four get- Oh my goodness."

There on the ground of Three Broomsticks, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy lay still entangled into each other and their eyes closed.

Madame Rosmerta rushed over. "Excuse me? Are you two okay? Oh my! Are they dead?"

Silence held the air.

And then a loud snore allowed them to understand that they had fallen asleep in mid-kiss.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Okay! End of chapter. I was going to add more but I got too lazy and yeah.

Haha. So I hope you guys enjoyed this! Thanks for the awesome reviews, guys! I got some ideas for this chapter which I started using and it just didn't sound right. I WILL use the whole Ron and roses idea for a latter chapters.

I hope I incorporated the drunk part okay. I've never been drunk and I've only been around my drunk friends.

And I realized that the story is called Roommates but there's really no sign that they were roommates and the last 6 chapters have been just random crap so next chapter is all about Draco and Hermione as roommates!

Yes.

Okay. Well,

Ta ta!

Youngwriter 56


	8. Car Wash!

The sun peeked through the halfway closed blinds, blinding the awaking Hermione Granger.

She stretched out on the pearly white carpet of her home.

Wait, what? Carpet?

Blankly, she looked around. A sofa on her left, a table on her right, Draco Malfoy under the table, a radio in the corner…

She laughed at the sight of Draco curled up in the fetal position under her living room table sleeping and producing a pool of saliva. Hermione picked up a rather hastily written note on the table.

_Hermione_

_If you haven't noticed, you weight 293487239 pounds. Ginny and I had such difficulty carrying you back in after you and Malfoy passed out at Three Broomsticks. No offense or anything._

None taken.

_Anyway, I hope you slept well. You owe me. I probably broke dozens of bones last night getting you in your house. I hope you understand the reason why you didn't wake up in your bed. Tell that to Malfoy as well._

_We were also too tired last night to stay and make some hangover potion so once you awake, you should do that. If you need help, just floo us or give us a call. _

_Ginny would like to add that your house is a mess. You two just threw up all over the place. Rather disgusting. _

_Now I have proved my great friend-ness, you better buy Ginny and me dinner some day. _

_The only reason why I'm not asking for more is lugging you two back to your home was rather awaking. I probably won't have a hangover tomorrow thanks to you two._

_Love always, _

_Harry._

Folding her note away, she kicked Draco from under the table.

"WAKE UP!"

"MMf"

Hermione began to shake him.

"Up! Up!"

"aslk"

Sighing, Hermione got up to her kitchen to make some Hangover potion.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you don't get up now, you're not getting any strawberry vanilla flavored Hangover Potion."

With that, Draco bolted up, his head running smack into the middle of the table.

"**OW! FUCKER**!"

"Language."

Draco didn't hear her. He was in his fetal position, grabbing on to his throbbing head.

"My head. My head."

"Maybe it made you a bit smarter." Hermione joked.

"Hah. Hah."

Leaving the cauldron to boil, Hermione began to move the furniture to the wall and shrinking them.

"What the. Hell. Are you doing?" Draco asked between gasps.

"I think it's time for Spring cleaning."

"It's middle of February."

"Close enough."

"Need. A hand?"

"Have you got one?"

"No." Draco panted, resuming to rubbing his scalp.

_Sizzle. _"Bloody hell." Hermione terminated her shrinking of furniture task as she rushed to her pot of potion.

Taking 2 cups, she poured the pinkish liquid into two cups.

"Here."

Draco, with one hand on the top of his head, reached over for his mug.

"MM. I've never had a hangover potion as yummy as yours." Draco moaned in between chugs.

Chuckling, a flashback occurred in Hermione's head. (A/N: Take it that all the italics are flashbacks coming into Hermione's head.)

"_Me neeeeither. Goshh, I put up suchhh big assed fights. Youuuu don't KNOW how muuuuuch I swoooore. Buut now, we coooooooool. Cool like fireeeeeeeee." Hermione laughed._

"_Yeahhhhh. Mannn. I remembeeeer I reeeeeealy reeeeeeeealy hated this muggggle. But sheee got so CUTE!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing Hermione. "My little cuuuuuuute muggggle. Suchh cuuuuute roooooommate." He said, pecking her cheek. The group laughed._

Squinting, Hermione furiously shook her head.

"Malfoy, how drunk were we last night."

"No idea. But man, I was WASTED."

Hermione resumed to shrinking the furniture.

"How's your head?"

"Getting better."

"Good. It needed that." Hermione giggled at the glare he shot at her. "Help me vacuum please."

"You have a wand, don't you?"

"Yes, but I found out that there's no spell that takes out the dust on the carpet."

"Then why don't you charm the vacuum?"

"Because I'm afraid it'll suck up the furniture."

"Then why don't you charm the vacuum?"

"Because that's impossible. There's no spell that does that."

Draco shut up after.

When the mudblood Granger said that, she meant it.

Hermione handed him a yellow apron and a white vacuum cleaner.

"How do you use this thing?"

"You press the red button and push around the carpet. Don't get the furniture. They get sucked up pretty easily."

"What are YOU going to do?"

"Sit here and watch."

"No. Not fair. I won't have some mudblood watch me work while she relaxes and laughs."

Glaring, Hermione went into the kitchen and threw him an apron. "After vacuuming, you will undust all the surfaces in the house with this rag." She said, throwing him a rag."

"What will you be doing?"

"Washing the windows, gardening, washing the car."

"Car? Has our precious mudblood gotten a car?"

"It looks natural. It was weird being the only house without one."

Smirking, Draco finished tying his pink apron around his hips and began vacuuming as Hermione got ready for her part of spring cleaning.

For hours, they worked, sweating, music blaring in the background.

Draco scrubbed the piece of something he didn't want to know off of a sculpture.

"DONE!"

Hermione came trampling down the stairs in a brown bikini and a bucket of soapy water.

"Draco dear, help me wash the car."

Draco was too speechless to refuse her.

OOOOO

"Why don't you use magic to clean the car?"

"In front of the whole muggle neighborhood? I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why don't you do it inside the garage?"

"Garage doesn't fit the car."

"Why don't you shrink-"

"HEAVENS SAKES, MALFOY. JUST HELP ME WASH THE GODDAMN CAR!"

Draco succumbed to the sweating woman in a bikini.

"Rather warm for February, isn't it?" Draco asked casually.

"Yeah. That's why we're doing spring cleaning."

"Whooo man! It's hot!" Draco said, sexually taking off his shirt, ever so slowly. Hermione took one look at his flexing body and rolled her eyes.

Disappointed in Hermione's unattraction to his body, he moved very close to her.

"Hey, Granger Boss. You've got soap on your nose."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do." He said, swiping a large soap bubble over her nose.

"Malfoy! You arse!" She said smiling a little and splashing him with soapy water.

Soon enough, there was a topless hunk and a woman in a bikini chasing each other around their driveway.

"DRACO! YOU GIT!" Hermione laughed running at him when she ran into his solid body. Caught back at his unmoving body, she tried to see what he was looking at.

"What is it?" She asked, looking around.

"You. You just said Draco." He said in the most cliché'd manner ever. (Because every single fanfic has that line practically)

"So…?"

"I think. That deserves GETTING WET!" Draco was too fast for her. He grabbed the hose and sprayed her down. Laughing, when Hermione was dripping in water, he stopped it. She stood there, wet, staring at him with her mouth dangling open at him accusingly.

"You…"

She was stopped short by a gentle placing of lips on her wet ones. It was enough of a kiss to enjoy it, but it wasn't enough of a kiss to have her arms around him. It was just a "placing" of the lips. Perhaps they were misplaced. Hermione never found out.

"_Yeahhhhh. Mannn. I remembeeeer I reeeeeealy reeeeeeeealy hated this muggggle. But sheee got so CUTE!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing Hermione. "My little cuuuuuuute muggggle. Suchh cuuuuute roooooommate." He said, pecking her cheek. The group laughed._

"_I'm nooooot neeeeearly as cuuuute as you, my deeeeear rooooooommate." Hermione said, kissing his cheek back._

"_You're nott only cuuute but also preeeeeeeeety like the wiiiiiiiind." Draco exclaimed._

_And in a matter of seconds, Hermione and Draco were making out in their seats._

"_You're soo hot- you cann- buuuurn-mee- ouuuuuuut." Hermione breathed between their gaps._

Hermione pulled back.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"I wouldn't call it a kiss. It was more like a gentle placing of my lips."

"Why did you 'place' your lips on mine?"

"I don't know. It just seemed appropriate."

"Wh-I told you not to kiss me."

"When did you say that?" Draco asked.

"Before. When you did a few weeks ago. It just makes me confused."

"Confused about what? We kissed. Big deal."

"It wasn't a kiss. You said it was a 'placing' of your lips."

Draco smirked. "Oh. So you're using my words ag-"

He was broken off by a passionate kiss that was bestowed upon him.

And that… was a kiss.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

And it seemed perfect. Almost too perfect.

In fact, Draco began to become frightened of its perfectness he slowly… ever so slowly pulled back.

"Why did you kiss me?" He asked softly, his face still barely 3 centimeters from her.

"It felt appropriate." She whispered into his neck.

"Damn, boss. I want you."

"Excuse me?"

"You. Are. So. Hot. Right. Now. It's not funny." Draco said sultrily into her ear.

And then, he snogged her senselessly.

"_You're soo hot- you cann- buuuurn-mee- ouuuuuuut." Hermione breathed between their gaps._

_And they sat there, exchanging their firewhiskey saliva as Harry and Ginny followed their example as well._

_Until._

_BAM!_

The two roommates were so wrapped up in their snog session that they didn't mind the running hose that bore down on them or passerbys shaking their heads or the cars zooming past whistling and howling.

Only when they gasped for air did Hermione have the initial to break apart from him, memories of the previous drunken night flooding her brain.

"Jesus." Draco muttered, breathing heavily.

Hermione wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Draco… this… can't happen." She muttered as she ran back into their home.

Looking around in a daze, the events of the night before and the events of about five minutes ago came crashing down on Draco heavily.

"DAMN."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When Hermione walked into her office the next day, Draco stood in front of her smiling sheepishly.

"Coffee?"

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." She said before pushing her door.

"Stop." Hermione felt a hand on her arm.

"Malfoy, not here." She whispered.

"Then elsewhere it is." He said, dragging her away, heads of the floor staring as they left.

"Malfoy! Let go!"

He did once they reached the corridors of the stairway.

"Look, Granger. What happened yesterday- I want to forget it but I'm having some trouble."

"Well, I'm sorry but I can't help you with that."

"Yes you can! Look. I realized we were… very drunk before that."

Hermione blushed furiously. "Yes… and?"

"We were drunk but you know, the truth comes out the most when you are highly dosed with alcohol. We both can't turn from the facts. I am very attracted to you. And you are very attracted to me too."

"Merlins, Malfoy. Do you always have to be so conceited? We were DRUNK on about a dozen bottles of firewhiskey. Drunk. All you know, I may have been seeing someone other than you that night."

"But you weren't. You know it. Don't try to lie to yourself to get out of it."

"Draco. I may be attracted to you, but it does not mean I like you whatsoever. I am not shallow like all your other girls. I look for the person inside and so far, that person inside of you isn't very attractive."

"Then what was that kiss about? Hm? I know you're not shallow. You won't go around kissing guys and making them all confused just for the hell of it." Draco said angrily.

"Confused? A Malfoy? Never. You're stumbling over nothing. In fact, I bet you're just saying all this bullshite because you just want to shag me. It's not happening. Hell, you did Penelope less than a month ago. You and I are opposite. I'm not shallow, and you are. I am honest and you say crap just for a shag."

"Well, you know what? You're not being very honest right now. You're either lying to me, or yourself."

"MALFOY do you ALWAYS have to be so stuck up? What makes you absolutely convinced that I'm lying? What is it?"

"The kiss. You said you're not shallow. You don't kiss guys for a shag you know. Why did you kiss me."

"It felt appropriate."

"So the kiss was MEANT to be. You like me. You fancy me."

"It felt appropriate taking into consideration everything that was happening before it."

"So the atmosphere was right?"

"Exactly. Good job, Malfoy. Now if you must, I have business to attend to."

"The only business you need to attend to today is a meeting with Penelope at four. I am your bloody secretary. Tell me you're sexually attracted to me."

"No. I will not."

"Don't lie to me, Hermione. Are you sexually attracted to me or do you think my appearance is so hideous you can't even bear to look?"

"Somewhere in the middle."

"That's NOT a choice. What is it? WHAT IS IT?"

"HELL MALFOY. Fine. I am sexually attracted to you. Happy? I think you are the hottest man alive and I want to lick you alive. Satisfied? Happy now?"

"No." Draco said flatly, punching the wall behind them. "And that's exactly what's driving me bloody crazy."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sigh. Didn't you miss this story.

Haha.

I'll be updating sooner than last time, don't worry. TWO MONTHS! Man. That was a long time. That was one sixth of an YEAR! Don't worry. I swear this time that it won't be any more than a month. And if it is, I swear I'll have 4 chapters for you by the end of the 2nd month.

Who is good at compromising or what? Haha. Okay. That was lame.

REVIEW PLEASE EVEN THOUGH YOU PROBABLY DON'T REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN READ THE CHAPTER. In that case, REVIEW A REVIEW THAT SAYS:

"I DIDN'T REALLY READ THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T UPDATED IN 2 MONTHS AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT BUT I'M SURE IT WAS ALL FLUFF AND NOW I FEEL LIKE AN ASS BECAUSE I MISSED 3 KISSES THAT OCCURRED IN THIS CHAPTER. Wow. NOW I'VE READ WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO WRITE, I'LL READ THE CHAPTER NOW."

Please?

Take care, ladies and gentlemen


	9. the Malfoy bagel

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"I'm coming! I'm coming! PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE! I'M COMING!" Hermione screamed frantically as she crawled, scrambled, and ran for the door. She flung it open with a large grin which soon turned upside down.

"Oh. It's just you." She said, frowning at Draco Malfoy who stood there.

"Why a sad face?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought… oh never mind." She said.

"You thought…"

"I thought… it was the pizza guy."

"Oh, now did you?"

"Yeah, I did. Yeah, actually I did."

"Oh. Medium pepperoni with cheese crusts?" Draco asked, shuffling around packages and papers in his suitcase.

"Y-yeah? Wait… is that..."

Hermione had no time to speak for the aroma of freshly cooked pepperoni pizza filled the house when Draco handed her a brown cardboard box.

Her eyes became two large buttons as she grabbed her box greedily.

"How… what the hell?"

"I'm your pizza guy. They hired me in a second."

"You work at… you work at a… you work?"

Draco smirked. "Yes, I believe I do."

"You have a muggle job?"

"Yes, I believe I do. After all, this IS a muggle town."

"You work… as the pizza guy… in a muggle pizza place."

"Must you rub that in so hard?"

"What about… your real job?"

"Real job? Oh, you mean that whole secretary thing?"

"Y-yeah. Hey, pizza guy, do I need to pay you tip?"

"Yes."

"All right. Let me get my purse. While I do, tell me what you did with your real job." Hermione emptied out her purse and snatched her coin pouch from the bottom of the pile. "How much?"

"How about half my rent? I quit. Resigned first thing this morning."

There was a horrendous clatter of coins on a hardwood floor.

"WHAT?"

"I quit. Q, U, I, T. Quit."

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-WHY?"

"Do I have to say?"

"Yes. I'm paying you tip, pizza guy."

"I'd rather not say. You should ask Penelope."

"Why don't you just tell me?"

Draco put on his pizza hat. "I don't have much time, miss. Can I have my tip?"

"No."

He grabbed his suitcase and tilted his hat. "As you wish." Draco opened the door and stepped out into the sunny Saturday morning.

"DRACO!"

"Yes'm?"

"Where the BLOODY HELL ARE YOU GOING?"

" 'Tis only my job, miss."

"You can't be serious. YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS."

"I am."

"Is it me? Is that why you quit?" Hermione asked, flushed in the face but her brain blown out by this sudden announcement.

"Maybe. Really, Hermione, I have 2 other houses to get to."

"Good. Have some pizza. Sit."

"I really… really… need to get going." Draco said, helplessly.

Hermione marched over to the door, slammed it shut and locked it.

Draco stared at the locked door.

"Uh… you know…"

"Yeah. I know. You're not leaving the house until I get a full explanation."

"You know I could just unlock it."

Hermione stared at the door, and then at Draco, the door, and then back at the blond man.

And then, she grabbed his suitcase and threw it aside, flinging her arms around him.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?" she cried.

Draco remained silent and held her in his arms until Hermione quit her blabbering, ranting, and sobbing. He waited until she let go of him, looking deep into his eyes for an answer.

"That… is why." Draco said, making his way into his room.

"And thanks, Hermione. I'll have to go find another job now."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"WHY DID HE LEAVE ME?"

"Calm down, babe. Here, have some butter beer." Penelope offered when Hermione came storming into her office.

"HOW could you LET HIM DO THIS? Why? How? What? Where? Who? WHY?" Hermione chugged her bottle down like an alcoholic's first drink in 10 years.

"Those things, I am obligated to keep confidential."

"HE TOLD ME to ask you. That's giving permission."

"Do you have it in paper?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, hun. I can't…"

"Yes you can! Penny, I NEED HIM!"

"You do? How? You can always find another secretary."

"Not one like him! He comes in 2 hours before me. He makes me the best coffee in the world. He buys me lunch sometimes. He protects me all the time. It takes less than a second to call him in."

"You like him."

"As a secretary."

"You like him."

"Only as a secretary."

"You like him."

"No I don't. He's just. A really… really… good… secretary."

"You like him. Why shouldn't you?"

"Because he's a brat."

"No."

"Because he's evil."

"No."

"Because… he's the sweetest thing in the planet to me?"

"You love him?" Penny asked.

"No. Love. Oh shite, Penny. I haven't felt love in ages now. I'm getting too old for this."

"Love? Oh… Oh… for a 26 year old, you're sure naïve."

"Holy poo, am I really 26?"

"That's what I always thought."

"Penny… is he allowed to just quit like that without my consent?"

"Nope. But legal papers say you want him gone."

"No they don't. Penny, don't do this to me. You know they don't. What legal papers?"

"The ones you signed the day that he was hired. The ones that I refused to sign but you told me to keep for later purposes."

"Those? They don't count. Oh no they don't. I don't agree now. You know that. Penny, how could you do this to me?"

"Well, Hermione, I'm sorry, it's just that I had no idea that you wanted to keep him that much and the way Draco said it, it seemed as though that you WANTED him out."

Hermione gasped. "Oh no he didn't! What did he say? Penny… what… did… he… say?"

Penelope sighed. "Do you promise you won't say a single word or shed a single rage?"

"Nome"

"He said that you refused him that you hate his guts to death and that you'll never accept him and that he was hopeless in impressing you."

"Refuse him? Hate him? Never accepting him? Hopeless? Penny… I don't want to lose him."

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Oh. That's right. He was such a great… uh… secretary…"

"You know, he still IS your roommate."

"I know. I know. I guess I'd better head back home now. He got a bit angry with me."

"Don't elaborate. See you next time, 'Mione."

"Uh huh."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hermione sat alone in her dark corner, drowning herself of some weak alcohol. It seemed to be her only remedy. The only remedy that worked.

Hermione eyed her third bottle. It seemed to be empty but she wanted to make sure.

"Empty."

Throwing it aside, Hermione grabbed her fourth bottle and began to uncap it when a mysterious hand came from nowhere and snatched it from her.

"NO! ANYTHING BUT MY RUM!"

"Granger, you've had three bottles of this. Enough is enough."

"Draco? Draco? Draco darling, is that you?"

"No. It's your conscious." Draco said, sitting down next to her, half grinning, and half frowning.

"Oh my goodness! You're my conscious? Why are you blond? Am I supposed to be blond? Should I go get my hair done?"

"Uh. No. Hello my material self. Why are you getting drunk?"

"I'm not drunk. I'm just tipsy."

"Why are you tipsy?"

Hermione sighed very heavily. "I lost my secretary today."

"Oh, now did you?"

"Yeah. He was one HELLUVA worker too."

"Is that the only reason why you're sad he's gone?"

Hermione sighed again. "I don't know. Maybe. He was pretty nice. However he made them or wherever he bought them from, his bagel were always really warm and soft and sweet and… I think… conscious… that I miss his bagels."

"His bagels?"

"His bagels. They were really good."

"He's still your roommate, isn't he? He can always make you bagels."

"He's mad at me."

"Why?"

"I made him lose his job. It wasn't fit for him anyway. He can do much better than having a measley muggle job. Especially being a pizza boy. Pah. Where did he get THAT idea?"

"A man needs to earn his money for living, you know." Draco said shrewdly.

"I know. He could do better though. He's a really good guy once you meet him. I mean when you first see him, you know he has the looks and all, and then you know him and you hate him. And then you know him some more and somehow, he grows on you. I don't know why he quit in the first place. Was I not paying enough?"

"Maybe it was because he had a growing attraction toward you and he didn't want to make it grow larger?"

"Maybe. But why does he have to quit the job, then?"

"Because the job might make him more vulnerable because he'd have to see you every day."

"Oh. Oh, shoot, you're right. Pah. Why would he like me in the first place. I'm nothing. He deserves better."

"How?" Draco asked.

"I don't know. I'm not like the girls he's usually around. I'm not gorgeous barbies come to life."

"Maybe that's why he likes you."

"Really, conscious. Are you gay? What guy will ditch the hottie for the uh… unhottie?"

"Hermione Granger, you are beautiful."

"I am?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"For sure?"

"Yes."

"You lie."

"No. I don't."

"Well even though you may be blind and you think I'm pretty and all, you know that I have a lot more problems. I have practically zero money, I have such a short temper… OH! Oh, Conscious, I get it now."

"Mm hmm?"

"I've been really mean to him. I know it. But he doesn't know that… can you keep a secret?"

"Yes. Of course."

"I think I like him. MORE than just as a secretary too. Or ex-secretary."

"He likes you too. Why can't you just face him now? It'll all work out."

"He hates me."

"No he doesn't." Draco said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again at this argument.

"Conscious, I can't do this."

"Do what?"

"Like him."

Silence. "Why?"

"Because."

"Because…"

Silence.

"Hermione?"

Draco shook her gently only to awake her inner snore of the night.

"Good night."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Rise and shine! Miss Granger, you have to go to the ministry today!"

"mmMMFffmm"

"Come on. I made you your favorite blueberry bagels."

"Bagels? Darling, Draco, you made me bagels? I thought you were mad at me!"

"Me? Naw. I'm over it now. I wasn't meant for that job anyway."

"Aw… Draco… you're a true man."

"Why thank you."

Hermione got up happily, merely forgetting her minor headache, and got ready for work in a happy mood.

"Ain't this a first?" Hermione thought as she began to comb her unruly bangs.

"Hermione, I made you some hangover potion." Draco called from the kitchen.

There was a soft clatter of a brush and Hermione's head popped out of the room.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"You…" Hermione never finished for she quickly gulped down her potion and felt a soothing ease in her head. "You… and I… we were meant to be."

Hermione grinned, patted his cheeks and skipped back into her bedroom.

"I know. I know." Muttered Draco.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Morning, Miss Granger."

"Howdy! Lovely day."

"Um… yes." The reception desk lady, Gertrude, smiled nervously, looking out into the stormy gray sky outside.

"Good morning, Miss Granger!"

"Hello. How are you?" She asked her fellow ministry-worker.

"Perfect. You look marvelous."

"Why so do you, Bill."

That morning, Hermione's arrival to her office was delayed by nearly an hour due to her merry conversations and teas with her "lovely" co-workers.

"Morning, Miss Granger." Hermione's secretary greeted as Hermione reached the door.

"G-" Hermione screeched to a halt.

She saw the name on the desk. Diana Sawyer. Tides of good spirits turned violently.

"Are you…"

"Yes'm. I'm your new secretary. I was wonde…"

Hermione frowned irritably. "I do the wondering, dear. You do what I wonder. I would like to be greeted with strong black coffee at the door, please. Make sure not to make that same mistake again."

Hermione took in the poor girl. She had wispy gray-brown hair that curled in perfect bounces around her shoulders. She had a petite but curvy build. At the moment, she looked as if she was ready to fall over and pass out.

Knocking the door almost completely off its hinges, Hermione ran into the room. She waited… waited… waited for Draco's voice to call out through the walls, "How'd you find your way in, princess?" or his head to peak in, smile and wish her another "Good morning."

It never came and it drove her up the wall.

For some reason, Hermione felt no use for this secretary now. She haven't even seen her at work and after the morning incident, she didn't feel like giving a chance.

She needed Draco.

Hermione ran back outside into the apparition zone and when she arrived at her house again, she frantically ran around, calling out for him. She tripped over a hat lying on the floor and she groaned and screamed.

"DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACO!"

There was a lour THUMP and footsteps thundering down the hall.

"Hermione? Granger? What is it? Did something happen?"

"No."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Is there a problem at the ministry?"

"No."

"Is Penelope calling for me?"

"No."

"Did you find my hat?"

"Yes." Hermione said, throwing the hat into his face. "Don't leave your stuff lying around."

"Sorry'm. Why'd you come back? You've been gone… one hour."

"Draco. Come back. Please? I'll fire the new girl. Come back. I can't focus." Hermione babbled.

"Calm down. Granger, calm down."

"I CAN'T! I was in such a good mood, thanks to your bagels, and then I saw HER and everything's just not right."

"Who's her? Your new…"

"YES. Please! Come back. I miss you."

Draco stared intensely at the ground. "No you don't."

"You can't say that. It's MY feelings. Draco. I think that I'm starting to like you. I can't stand for you to not be there. It's just… too weird."

"Hermione. It's too late. I've moved on."

"No you haven't. You couldn't possibly have moved on. You were hitting the wall, all angry with me just 2 days ago. Draco, please. Come back. I can't get anything done."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'M sorry. I need you."

"You said that you can't. You told me that you can't do this. So I spent last night forgetting… forgetting… forgetting everything. It hurt, but I'm here now, alive and better. But now you come to me… I can't do this," said Draco.

"Yes you can. I know you can. I don't. I don't remember saying any of that. Draco, would you like to be my secretary?"

"You were drunk last night."

"Tipsy."

"Tipsy last night. You were VERY tipsy last night. You remember that? You remember being tipsy."

"Why else would you give me a hangover potion?"

"Well, you said some stuff last night… to your… uh… conscious."

"YOU were my conscious?"

Draco nodded. "I'm afraid I was. You said that you couldn't do THIS because… of some reason you fell asleep on. So I took that and I got over you last night."

"Draco… I was drunk. You expect me to say the right things?"

"You were tipsy. People speak the truth when they are tipsy, not the right things." he corrected.

"So you are over me now. It took you _five hours_ to get over me. What was this that you were feeling in the first place, Draco?"

"Like?"

"You were in like with me and you got over it in five hours. Strange…"

"I'm a Malfoy."

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye and took one last look into his gray steel eyes.

"You sure are."

She said, tearing away and running out into the rain.

Rain…

It started as small sprinkles of water droplets dampening her rather loose clothing. And then, the sky became darker and the rain came down harder.

She didn't care. She felt nothing. She was numb.

Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy.

The thing with Draco was that he always said the wrong things at the most important moments of his life.

Hermione knew that, but it didn't matter.

Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy.

She halfheartedly hoped that Draco would come running out with an umbrella, wrap her into his warm welcoming un-Malfoy-ish arms and hold her for eternity.

He never came.

He never came back to her.

Not for many rainy, sunny, snowy, happy, sad, angry, stressed, or heart-drenching days.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ahhhh.

Did you know that I was going to end with this chapter? Of course, not with this ending. It was going to be a happy ending.

And then, I realized the ending would be coming too abruptly so I cut it in half. The next chapter will be the end, unless you wish for an epilogue where they get married have had babies and all that boring stuff.

Well.

I must say one thing:

I AM REALLY SORRY.

I have not forgotten this story. Of course not. I know my writing's been going downhill… It's just the blunt truth, guys. I need SOMETHING to bring me back to life. I honestly think that some chapters in the beginning are better than this. I need something to make me improve. I think I'm losing my touch! Oh no!

Well, please review guys, even though I know I don't deserve any.

It would cheer me up much. : )

And P.S,

The next chapter will be about an year or two after. It's going to be one of those. "2 years later" things.

Ta!


	10. John Smith

Dun Dun Dun…

This is NOT the last chapter. I decided, the next chapter is the last chapter, because I won't be having an epilogue or anything, and I sort of owe it to you guys.

So yeah, let me repeat…

THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER.

And, it certainly isn't my best, but well, it gets the information across.

OOO

**1 year, 5 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 8 hour, 45 minutes, and 2 seconds later**

"GET OUT!" The door to Hermione's house swung open with a loud crashing BANG and a body was seen flying through the air, landing on the driveway with an even louder and very painful BANG.

"But… Hermione…"

"No! Get out! OUT! OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU IN MY HOUSE AGAIN!"

"Hermione… listen! I can explain."

"NO! YOU CAN'T! TRUTHFULLY, YOU SUCK AT EXPLAINING! GET OUT!"

As soon as Hermione screamed those words, a figure of a disheveled girl came running and whimpering out of the door and into the sunset.

"Jasmine! No! Come back!" The man on the driveway called out to the sprinting girl.

"Jasmine! Come back!" Hermione mimicked. "Oh, get a LIFE! AND GET A ROOM! JUST NOT UNDER MY ROOF!" Hermione yelled, shutting the door firmly.

The man outside was John Smith, former roommate of Hermione Granger. He lay there, rubbing his back and staring helplessly at the door.

It opened once more. He smiled.

"Ah, Hermione. Love, let me explain- OOF!" He fell back once more, having a large baggage fall upon him.

"Don't set another TOE in this house AGAIN!"

"Aw, babe! Let me explain!"

"No! Don't 'Aw, babe' me, I'm not one of your dirty whores! Let me tell you now that you're not my roommate anymore! I HATE it when you call me those names. I HATE it when you leave your tie lying around because you think it's sexy. I ABSOLUTELY hate having you bring your prostitutes inside and banging on them like you haven't been laid in years. I HATE your 'cute' little envelopes you leave your money in. And you know what I hate most? I HATE YOUR SPECIAL CHOCOLATE AND CHEESE OMELETTES! THEY'RE DISGUSTING, MORTIFYING, ANY WORD THAT DESCRIBES POO!"

John gasped. "Oh, no you DIDN'T!"

"Oh, yes I did! So long, SUCKER!" Hermione spat, slamming the door shut once and for all.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"OUT! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! HOW THICK ARE YOU? HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU? I FEED YOU, CLOTHE YOU, GIVE YOU A PLACE TO STAY, AND YOU REPAY ME BY DOING THIS? DRACO MALFOY! NEVER SET A FOOT IN MY PROPERTY AGAIN!" A woman screamed rather shrilly as she chased Draco and a new sex partner down the garden path.

"Mrs. Zabini! Please!"

"I've had ENOUGH OF YOU, BOY! SERIOUSLY! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT MY BLAISE HAD TO GO THROUGH! YOU BETTER HAVE NOT TAKEN HIM UP TO YOUR HABITS! HE BETTER BE A VIRGIN, OR I'LL SKIN YOU!"

"Please, Mrs. Zabini. Blaise started having sex long before I even knew about it."

"NONESENSE! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! TAKE YOUR LITTLE GIRL WITH YOU TOO!"

"Aw, come on, princess. I'll do the dishes for a month?"

"GET OUT!"

Draco looked sadly at the pitiful girl next to him. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. You go ahead. I don't know if I'll make it alive. Go on! I'll see you again sometime, babe." Draco whispered, pushing her out the gate as he stopped, turned around to face the raging Mrs. Zabini and smiled.

"Let's talk this out, Mrs. Zabini."

"We've talked this out MANY TIMES, Malfoy. It still hasn't triggered, though, HAS IT?"

"Oh, sure it has. It's just you know… when you're a man in his peak years… when you've gotta… you just gotta…"

Mrs. Zabini spat at him. "NOW, YOU ARE CALLING ME OLD?"

"WHAT? No! Oh, no ma'am, no! You're young enough to be dear Blaise's sister!"

"Now, YOU ARE CALLING ME A SLUT?"

"WHAT? NO! Oh, jesus, where do you women get these? Us men, we never mean to say anything! Gee! Blaise, help me take your mother back inside." Draco called out to the window right above them. Blaise's head popped out.

"Sorry mate. You blew me off. You down right deserved it, you bastard."

Draco stared gaping at the dark man above him. "What the hell? What do you mean? You're letting me go?"

Blaise shrugged. "Come back in another year or two. Tell me where your new home is, so I can get all your stuff… well, let's say personally delivered to you? How's that sound?"

"WHAT? ZABINI! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! YOU EVIL GIT! YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE ME HOMELESS AGAIN?"

"You blew it, man. You really did."

"FUCK YOU! GIVE ME MY STUFF!"

Blaise arched an eyebrow. "As you wish, princess." He said, as a pile of clothing and bags came flying from above. Mrs. Zabini looked triumphantly at Draco.

"What will I ever do without you Blaise," she said, never breaking apart her glare at Draco.

"Love ya, mom."

"Love ya too, son."

Draco muttered a string of curses as he packed all his belongings into one large suitcase.

"I don't need ANY of you! I'm leaving!"

"Ta then!" Mrs. Zabini called out in a mocking sort.

"See ya, mate!"

Draco headed off into the distance, brown suitcase rolling happily behind him.

He didn't know how he was going to and where he was heading off to. He had just enough money to last him a few days at the Leaky Cauldron, but he was going to need a place to stay soon.

The idea of Hermione quickly crossed his mind… and then left it.

'Maybe I'll give her a nice visit?"

"_I'm a Malfoy."_

_Hermione wiped a tear from her eye and took one last look into his gray steel eyes._

"_You sure are."_

_She said, tearing away and running out into the rain._

Draco shook his head. There was no way she'd let him in.

Of course. He'd go there, tired and helpless. "Hi Hermione."

"Oh! Oh my gosh! Draco! Hi there! What's this? You got kicked out again? Oh, let me help you with your stuff. You can come crash in my place. Oh, stay forever! I'll never hurt you or anything! Hell, I'll even marry you because I forgive you and I still love you."

Draco laughed. Funny things, that. She'd probably take out her stun gun, after beating his pulp out, and then blind him with pepper spray and then gouge his eyes out and cut him into little tiny pieces and poo on him.

_**CRASH!**_

"What the hell…" Draco said dazedly, rubbing his head and getting up from the ground.

"I am so sorry." A man said, helping Draco up.

"Gee, watch where you're going, will you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sor- you can't be Draco Malfoy?" the man asked.

"I am."

"Why, blimey! It's Draco Malfoy!"

"I believe we've cleared that up about 2 seconds ago."

"I'm John Smith, from the department of criminal law and justice."

"Why, pleasure to meet you, sir." Draco said rather moodily.

"I see you've got yourself a suitcase?"

"Yes. You must not be blind, then. Sorry, I had no idea, assuming you crashing into me just so randomly."

John Smith ignored all his depressing and cynical comments. "I've been kicked out too."

Draco looked up with hope and a light in his eye.

"You TOO?"

"Yes."

"Oh, what a depressing day. Come on, John. Let's go take a drink for this day. We can't let any lousy roommate or someone to just kick us on our asses and tell us what to do! Let's celebrate this day! When we, the abandoned, yet handsome and dashing men were freed from the chains of hell! I'll pay!"

"Why, certainly, sir!"

And arm in arm, the two abandoned men walked off into the sunset…

OOO

John Smith.

Oh, what a man he was.

Age: 27

Real age: 36

Occupation: Department of criminal law and justice

Woman status: single, and has been single since he was 24... real age-wise.

Hermione paced around the living room, occasionally giving a small kick into the carpet.

Had she been too cruel? Should she have given him a second chance?

"No."

She had warned him many many times ever since she first caught him at it with a whore from the bar.

He was actually a nice fella. He didn't cook, or cook very well, but he cleaned the house frequently, being the neat freak he was, and never really annoyed her. They lived a peaceful, quiet lifestyle. But of course, he never listened to her.

She had merely only tried to help him, and shape up his lifestyle. Maybe he WASN'T very appealing and manly, but sleeping with prostitutes didn't result any better. She had given him many chances, four, to be exact, and he probably slept with them even more when she didn't catch him. Right under her roof, in her house, in her rooms…

Hermione kicked on the table leg, only to result in the cover flapping open and her toe throbbing.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow."

Hermione began to cover the lid of the desk when a auburn book caught her eye.

Famous Wizard Cases in the last 2000 years

By John Smith

Hermione slapped her face with her hand.

"Shit!" She had totally forgotten about John's book. He had been working on the book for years now. It was only about a quarter done when he first moved in with her, and he often asked her for revising.

Now, she had a dilemma.

She could leave the book, be cruel, and never give it back

Or,

She could leave the book, wait for him to come back, and then give it back, risking his poor, dirty body lingering around her front lawn until he slowly disintegrated

Or,

She could just find him and give it back, and leave abruptly.

"Men."

Hermione flipped out her cellular phone. Most members of the ministry owned one, especially for emergencies.

She looked through her contacts list and found "Roommate Smith"

Dialing call, she waited.

_Briiiing_

_Briiiing_

_Brii-_

"Hellllllllo?"

"John? It's Hermione. Where are you?"

"Darrrrrrrrrling! It's youuu! Hab you cooome to ta-i-ke mee baaaack?"

"No. Are you drunk?"

"NOooooooooo."

"John, just tell me where you are."

"I'm here! Atttt… Lovely… lovely… Rosmerta's… lovely… lovely… lovely…"

"Just wait, okay?"

Hermione grabbed all his papers and his copy inside her purse and apparated to Three Broomsticks. It wasn't very hard to find her former roommate. He and another man were practically the only ones left.

"John. Here are your papers and your book. Don't lose-"

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks.

A very drunk and sheepish Draco gazed at her.

"Hullo, Her-my-knee"

Draco greeted, before passing out cold on the cold stone floor.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hey guys! I know this is a pretty short chapter, and not as well written. That, I know. Whenever I do any of these like… "2 years later" things, it always starts off pretty cheesy because I need to let everyone know what's happened during the two years without being boring and stuff.

So yeah…

But you know… a lot of stuff happened… so yeah.

Hopefully though, the next (and last) chapter will be better!

Please review! Even if you didn't even finish reading this chapter because it bored you to death.

Ta ta- Youngwriter 56


	11. the day after

Okay, I lied.

I have abandoned this story.

Because I hated where I was taking it

I mean, it was all good and stuff and the idea was nice and it was my best doing story so far, and then BAM! I don't know what to do with it and I messed it up.

But for my loyal readers, here is where I bid you good news.

I have un-abandoned this story.

I mean, abandonment is rather harsh, don't you think? Instead, I'm on my knees praying for your forgiveness for the long update and the really bad one too.

Sigh.

Well, here goes.

p.s. I've just finished writing the story, and I have to add before you guys read this… this chapter is sort of rated R (M) for some sexual implications.

OOO

It was John Smiths' lucky day.

He had awoken with a rather uncomfortable pain in his back but he soon forgot it all when he saw the lovely, lovely (lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely) face of Madame Rosmerta staring over him with a flask of a bubbling potion that Hermione sometimes (sometimes) made him when he came home drunk.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"I am now." He said, sitting up, straightening up his hair.

"I was going to tell that girl, Granger, to take you along with the other man, but she refused and just put this book here. So I just left you here on this bench. It's uncomfortable, isn't it? I asked the ruddy ministry and they sent nobody to replace them." She said, scowling.

"Oh, dear. Well, I happen to work at the ministry… I can send a personal request myself if you would like, dear Rosmerta."

There was hope in her lovely, lovely (lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely) eyes.

"Really? You would do that?"

"Anything for m'lady."

She smirked and slid his book across the table. "It's very well written. It has much potential and I enjoyed it, and I'm not much of a reader."

He beamed, feeling that Three Broomsticks had never been warmer.

Rosmerta's store was closed for the rest of the day.

Wink. Wink. Wink. Wink. Wink.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On the other hand, Draco was not having such a wonderful start.

It would help to mention that he had a splitting headache and that he had no idea where he was.

"Whuu…" he moaned stupidly.

He whipped the clean white sheets away from his dirty body and groggily sat up, finding a neat note on the bedside table.

_Malfoy-_

_There's hangover potion on the stove. I'll be at work if you need me. You know where._

_-Hermione_

Bolting straight up, he realized that this was the place he used to call home about two years ago. He recognized the cream colored walls and the scribbles on the wall behind the bed where Hermione had busily and subconsciously written and crossed out numbers and names.

Some things never change.

XXX

Hermione panted. "He's back."

"Voldemort?"

"No, no, Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. He's back. And he's IN MY HOUSE."

"Ouch. Even worse." Penelope, the ministress of magic, shivered.

"YES! PENNYYYYY. WHAT DO I DO?"

"Have you tried kicking him out?"

"No. well, I couldn't. He was sleeping you see… and you know Draco… he's the cutest when he's sleeping because he doesn't talk. His nose was all bunched up like this," Hermione scrunched up her nose slightly, like a rabbit that had smelled its prey. "And his mouth… it was slightly open and I couldn't dare wake him up and…" Hermione sighed.

"Sounds like you're addicted."

"Addicted? Me? To him? How? We've been separated for an year and a half now.

"You missed him."

"I did not."

"Yes you did." Penelope said, reaching out into her files. She fished around, her fingers brushing past dozens of folders until she grabbed one.

"In fact, just 3 weeks ago… let's see. Oh, here:" Penelope pushed a slim piece of glass over to Hermione as a scene appeared slowly and voices were heard.

"_What's wrong, Hermione?"_

"_It's my ruddy roommate. This morning, I saw another one of his girls making egg fries as if this was her house. She nearly blew me up when she saw me. Didn't know it was MY house and thought it was John's the whole time. He did it AGAIN! Even Draco didn't sleep with this many women." Hermione's hair was a complete mess, locks of hair going astray in the atmosphere around her. She was still in her pajamas, with a mere blue robe around her. Her eyes were blazing, but also helpless and depressed. Sleepy bags hung under her eyelashes _

_Penelope looked questioningly at her._

"_Really…"_

"_Damn it, Penny, you're too damn clever for your own good."_

"_Why, thank you."_

"_Every time I catch John, I think about Malfoy. What he would have been doing instead… where he is… what a great person he was…"_

"_Really…"_

"_I expected, when I first found out he was my roommate, that I would never forgive him and that he was still a horrible evil villain. But as weeks progressed… I never forgave him, but I forgot everything he'd done. He makes me forget. I'd forgotten that he'd called me a mudblood, made my life hell, done every possible thing that a brat can do, and once even joined the death eaters. But I don't know Penny… I don't know if I can forget everything this time. If he ever comes back…" Hermione stopped in her tracks, tears forming in her eyes. _

"_If he ever comes back, what would you do?" Penelope pushed._

"_Forget everything."_

"_Really? You just said that…"_

"_I know what I just said. I just miss him."_

The scene faded and Hermione pushed the glass back to Penny angrily. "You keep all our conversations?"

"To prove that I'm always right."

"You and Malfoy would get along well. Your egos put together can probably blow up the entire universe."

"I have that right, though. I'm the ministress of magic AND your boss."

"Well, that's the past. He's here and I still haven't forgotten everything. Things are different, Penny. I won't ever fall for him."

"So you're kicking him out?"

"Yes." Hermione tried her hardest to sound like her usual confident self.

All Penelope (Clearwater- a/n; thanks guys) Weasley had to do was stare at her.

"No." Hermione whimpered, sinking in her seat and her head in her hands.

"Think, Hermione… This isn't like you. You're strong. You're smart. You know that. There's only one thing you can do, Hermione…"

A revelation came down upon her and Hermione smiled cheerfully.

"You're right!"

Penny smiled. "See? I knew you can do it. No reason to thank me, dear. When you're with Draco, you need therapy."

"I have to kill Draco Malfoy!" Hermione said. "That's the best idea I've ever thought of since… well… since forever!" She got up, laughing maniacally.

"NO! NO! HERMIONE, THAT'S NOT WHAT I ME-"

It was too late. Hermione was out of the door, hunting for a blond headed boy, ready to kill.

OOOO

At Hogsmeade, the sun shined brightly, contrasting to the gloomy weather that had hit London a few days ago. The light gray clouds, however, predicted rain. Still, Draco walked down a quiet stone road whistling on his way to Three Broomsticks. He guessed that the man he met the day before, John Smith, was still there.

CLOSED FOR THE MOMENT

BE BACK AT: …………

Draco stood in front of the store forever, curious. Three Broomsticks was almost NEVER closed. In fact, this was the first time that he had seen this sign at the door. Three Broomsticks was almost the most popular store and closing it was horrible for business.

'Even if she really IS busy, she'll forgive me. We're good friends.' Draco thought as he turned the doorknob anyway and walked in.

That was the biggest mistake in his life.

There, on one of the center tables that Draco and his friends usually sat around at during his Hogwarts years, there was Madame Rosmerta and John Smith going at it furiously and passionately. There were bottles of firewhiskey and clothes scattered all over the ground. John Smith moaned hungrily.

Draco quickly closed the door, not caring about the fairly loud sound he had just made when he slammed the door shut.

He was scarred for life.

There was no turning back. His life was over. He had to kill himself now. Or gouge his eyes out and ram his head into the wall repeatedly until the memory was gone.

He had no trouble HAVING the sex but it always troubled him to WATCH sex. Especially when the two people were friends of his and in their mid 30's and 40's.

A train of shivers ran through Draco painfully. He shuddered over and over again, his feet planted there, right in front of the door where inside, there were two people…

HE DRANK BUTTERBEER ON THAT GODDAMN TABLE EVERY YEAR.

He wanted to cry very badly.

"HAH!" A loud uproar came closer to him and forced him to turn his head sideways.

There she came, her hair freshly curled in the morning and her crisp red shirt and khakis casually grabbing onto her slender figure as she walked quickly against the mild wind.

Hermione Granger came, pounding upon him with a wand raised eye level.

"DRACO MALFOY"

"Hullo, Hermione. I'm sorry, but this isn't the greatest ti-"

She had reached him and her wand was jabbing directly at his neck, her eyes blazing with triumph.

"I just had a talk with Penelope. Remember her? She gave me some advice about you. So I've decided, Draco Malfoy, that I'm going to have to kill you."

"What?" Draco was only half listening. He was mostly absorbed in the scene that he knew took place behind the wooden door and a disturbance at his throat.

"You see, I didn't know what to do with you. I didn't know whether I should just let you be and forgive you or if I should kick you out for my own sake. But I can't kick you out because you're too cute. I can't keep you because I know I'll drive myself mad. You see, there's only one thing I can do. If I can't keep you and if I can't leave you, what else can there be? At first, I thought 'maybe I ca…"

"_When a girl's been talking for over a minute non stop, tune out, nod, say okay once in a while, and think about sex." _

Blaise's wise words crept up to the surface of Draco's memories.

So Draco nodded, saying okay once in a while and he thought about the couple inside Three Broomsticks, making love at the moment.

How long had they known each other? Draco nodded at Hermione for she was still talking to him.

Did they always have sex? Is that why Hermione hadn't taken him back with me to her house? Did Madame Rosmerta demand on keeping him overnight? Draco nodded some more, looking intently into Hermione deep chocolate eyes, totally oblivious to everything she was telling him and the feelings that she was pouring out to him.

Or if they didn't know each other, did Madame Rosmerta have sex often? On that table? Did she do it when they were in Hogwarts? How did she clean the tables? Just water and soap or did she scrub it? Or did she not even wash them at all? "Yeah, Hermione. I agree." He said, patting her shoulder.

"…I don't care if I have to use any force on you, I'm stron- wait, what?"

Draco suddenly tuned out of his thoughts and his mind focused on Hermione now. "What? What did you say?"

"I just told you that I was going to kill you."

"Wait… WHAT? WHY?"

Hermione looked beat. "Didn't you… weren't you listening to me?"

Draco was crestfallen. "Of… of course."

"You're lying! What were you looking at? What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing. I wasn't thinking about sex." Draco blurted, clasping his hands over his mouth. "I mean, shit. It's not like that! It's just that… come on, Hermione. Let's talk about this somewhere else."

"No,_ DRACO_." She purred. "I want to talk about this NOW." Hermione ignored the sign on Three Broomsticks and pushed the door open widely, only to find herself screaming very loudly.

Soon, the two naked bodies that she had just witnessed screamed as well.

John Smith and Madame Rosmerta.

Hermione could find no words to scream or vent and she ran out like a speeding mongoose.

"DAMN! John! You told me you locked the door!"

"Well, you were doing the sign so I thought you had locked it while you did it!"

"I thought you'd done it already!"

"Well, I thought we were supposed to go upstairs and… 'do it' THERE."

"Well, I'm sorry, SIR, that I was too anxious. Won't happen again."

"Aw come on dear. Come back. Here, I'll lock it." John Smith walked to the door to close it when he spied Draco Malfoy still standing there shocked. "Wasn't that Hermione who just ran away?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, what are you doing, you dimwit? Run after her! It's obvious you can't get enough of her and she is obsessed about you or she would have taken me back with her to her house also, wouldn't she? Instead of leaving me here? Seriously, do men know anything about love these days? Girls like Hermione… you don't find them often, you hear?"

Draco stared at the naked John Smith lecturing him at the doorway and turned sideways to catch a glimpse of a mass of brown hair bobbing up and down, retreating back toward the sun.

He was right.

That goddamn naked Smith pervert was right.

"Thanks" Draco murmured as he suddenly sped away after Hermione top speed.

"Young love." John Smith muttered, closing the door, locking it and returning to his future.

OOOO

Was that why Draco was staring numbly at that door? Is that why Draco wasn't listening to anything she was saying? Or did he truly change? Had he become some sort of a perverted git who was so thoughtless and cruel?

Or was it the opposite? Had he always really been like that but she'd been blind and seen him in a new light before? Were they really not meant to be? Had she stupidly thought that he had changed from his old days?

The sun grew dimmer as gray clouds began to smother it. She knew it would rain soon. Because she'd had such a bad experience with rain before, she took the forecasted rain as a sign that it was going to be the same and that nothing had changed.

Had they?

XXX

"Hurry, I need as many aurors off duty right now as possible" Penelope ordered.

"What's the problem now?"

"Hermione Granger."

Nymphadora Tonks looked at her wide eyed. "Hermione? What'd she do? Nothing bad? Or what happened to her? She was always so nice…"

"Later. I think she's going to kill."

"Kill? Hermione? No… those two words don't mix."

"Hermione's killed before and she'll do it again. You have no idea how powerful she is. She fought beside Harry Potter during the war. So when she says she will, she means it. She's a damn stubborn witch. Please Tonks, this is urgent. Call Kingsley for me."

"Okay." Tonks

Moments later, a large shadow followed Tonks closely toward Penelope.

"What's the problem? Tonks mentioned Hermione Granger."

"She's out to kill. She's going to kill Draco Malfoy."

"Why?"

"It's personal matter, it's really nothing you need to worry about. But she told me she was going to and left. Just about 30 minutes ago. She's not back, which means that she's really going to do it. Hurry, we need to find them so that we can take Hermione back."

"Yes, ministress."

"I'll call up the others." Tonks said, scurrying toward a few other compartments on the floor for some free aurors.

"Hurry… Do I have to mention that Hermione runs as fast as an ostrich?"

OOOOO

Draco could feel his shirt beginning to dampen. It wasn't pouring down rain; it was just sprinkling. None of it mattered much, mostly because he was wearing a simple white undershirt that he could just throw away anyway. His breath hardened and his legs were soaring from his sudden exercise.

He knew that Hermione could run as with the wind but he had never actually experienced it.

'Focus…'

A few villagers began to shuffle back to their homes and store keepers closed their doors to keep the sudden gust from coming in.

'First it's 80 degree weather and now it's a hurricane. Do weathers really reflect my moods now?'

He had just passed Madame Puddifoot's when he thought he saw a spark of red and messy and wet curly hair slowing to a walk just a few meters ahead of him.

Draco quickened his steps, making sure not to make any noise.

She was closer than ever now. He could just reach out…

Suddenly, a roar of thunder cried out and water began to come down from the sky in larger and heavier droplets. Hermione began to run.

Groaning, Draco took one large step and his fingers found her sleeve. He froze for a moment before turning her around, only to come face to face with Hermione's soaked face and her wand pointing straight at him.

"Don't. touch. Me."

Draco held on tighter.

"Let go."

"Hermione… listen."

"No. let go. Now. I'll have to hex you. Or maybe kill you. It'll make my job faster."

"Hermione. Look. Look at me." She glared hatefully into his nervous, yet slightly confident eyes.

"I've let you go once. But things have changed. I've changed. It won't happen again." Draco said, pulling her toward him, only letting her wand get closer to his nose.

"No, Malfoy. Nothing has changed. You're still the brutal, disgusting and heartless brute you always were."

"Sure, think whatever about me, but look. Something HAS changed. See? I'm here this time. I'm holding onto you."

Hermione's death glare loosened completely for a second. "Well, and this time, we're in Hogsmeade." She said out of the blue, totally calmly as if she was just mentioning something that he had foolishly left out, right before here eyes squinted into a goosebump worthy look of hatred

Still, Draco smiled. "Yeah, that too."

XXXX

"Hogsmeade. They're at Hogsmeade, near to the Quidditch store and the fountain." Kingsley told Penelope.

"Good. Ready? Let's go."

5 cracks later, Penelope found herself with 4 other aurors, their wands at the ready watching the scene in front of them. Hermione had her wand raised high and Draco was clenching onto her arms sleeve. They were soaked now.

But, she had just caught Draco smile and there was a small flicker in the corner of Hermione's eyes that only she seemed to have noticed. And only she seemed to have noticed Hermione's wand being lowered by half a millimeter and her grip loosening slightly.

"Wait. Don't make a sound." Penelope told the rest of them as they hid behind a nearby fountain. Five grown adults tip-toed about a meter to crouch down, not wanting to miss this sight.

"This time, it's different." Penelope whispered.

XXX

"I'm going to have to kill you now." Hermione said.

"I doubt it."

"Oh? You don't think I can do it? Try me. I can blast off every part of your body before you can blink."

"Tell me… why are you so desperate to kill me?"

"There's no other way."

"Why can't we just forget everything… why can't you just forgive me?"

"BECAUSE! It just doesn't work. I've been doing too much forgiving… whether it was with Penny or you. My body can't take this anymore."

"What had Penny done?"

"She told me to forgive you. She told me to forget everything you've done and start over. She's an evil, too smart bitch who needs to stop tricking me."

"Really? Well, she'd been telling me the same as well."

"You've been meeting her? You mean she's been meeting my enemy behind my back?"

"Suddenly, I'm your enemy? What happened to being in 'like' with me? What happened to liking me more than just a secretary or a roommate?"

She flushed. "It's over. I've forgotten that."

"Really…"

"Well, compared to the five hours it took you, I'd have to say that I have actual feelings… Real feelings that take me time to build and mend."

"well, what if I told you that maybe I was never over you?"

"I won't believe you and I'll ask you what you've been talking to Penny about."

"Well, I never got over you, Hermione."

"Well, I don't believe you and I want to know what you talk to Penny about."

"Oh, this and that. You, mostly."

"That backstabber."

"Hermione, just wake up and look at me. Take a nice good look… I know you like it. Whoa whoa, okay…" He said, backing away slightly as she shoved her wand closer to him. "Hermione, just get over your stubbornness and smell the coffee. It's obvious that I want you and that you want me. Why can't you just accept that?"

"I won't accept that because it's not true."

"So you don't want me."

"Neither do you."

"Merlin, Hermione, I told you! Take a damn good look at me." He sighed. He let go of her arm, leaving both of them standing in a pregnant trance for a split second, and then he cupped his hands around her cold drenched face. He leaned her head back slightly so that she was looking at him in the eye.

"Hermione, look what you've done to me. I've become this fucked up git living with his best friend and his mother. I haven't had sex in ages. No, look at me. Look at me."

"I'm looking, I'm looking! Jesus Christ… you're so bloody redundant." She said stubbornly, focusing her view only to his eyes.

They were indescribable. The only word that came to mind was: Un-Malfoy-like.

Draco watched her, a smirk slowly growing on his face. He had seen the unmistakable flicker in her eyes and the wand dropping another centimeter. He couldn't help smiling. A real smile, with his gleaming white teeth taunting her.

He brought her face to his, every bead of rain flickering on his eyelashes. He was tantalizingly close, just a breath away. Hermione felt her eyes begin to waver.

"But first, Hermione, I need you to get your wand out of our way so I can kiss you."

She blushed, and quickly shoved her wand into her pocket when the gap between them shattered and they quickly found their lips tingling. They pulled back, her bottom lip tugging slightly and they stood there hesitantly for a moment. Then, Draco wrapped his arms around her waist right as she flung her wandless arms around his neck and he brought her closer to him, feeling the warmth of her body against his runaway heart. His soft breath against her and his electric lips caressing her own numb ones made her forget… forget everything in their past. And as she forgot one tearful day after another, she forgave him. Their depressing pasts, angry tantrums and lonesome days left her completely, leaving only this blissful passion to remain for eternity.

It rained.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Wow.

It's over.

3890 words just ended the most stressful, most time-consuming, but the best experience that had taught me the most about fanfiction.

I know that the end is corny. And I know that it's cliché and sort of stupid and girly, but sometimes, those are the best ways to end stories.

Haha, maybe not this story, but it's over and there's nothing you can do about it except review. Just know that this is the last time you ever have to review this story- and any of my stories for a long time because I'm taking a break- so make it good. I've finished… really… all my stories now. Or all the ones I was most worried about. I won't be updating other stories often for now, since break is almost over and everything and I've just spent all Monday finishing this. Did you know that I had 6 versions of the story (after the very beginning when John Smith finds himself at Three Broomsticks)? Crazy. I chose this one and I hope I made the right choice. I'm very indecisive.

So anyways, I'm trying to tell you guys that you won't be seeing any updated stories for a while so review me while you can. I'm thinking about another story, but we'll have to see about that.

I love you readers the most. You have no idea. You guys have been the most patient, nice and forgiving people in the world and that meant so much to me. Which is why it hurt me the most when I betrayed you guys and didn't update for about 324987 months on this story. Because you guys deserve better.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it… Thanks for enduring with me on this one. Yeah. You know who you are.

Thanks so much, guys.

love always,

Dawn.


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